Afraid of the Light
by Resting-Madness
Summary: Ozuma's family are moving to a new home, and he's having some problems with adjusting to the new house when his fear of the dark become a fear of the light.
1. A Sign

Disclaimers: I don't own the beyblade characters used in this story. I would also like to say I don't make any money in this story, it's just a fun hobby that I'd someday like to do for a living.

...

Ozuma loves car trips. He could spend hours alone just thinking about things to do while his family is on the road. He often drew pictures, played spot the car, sometimes he would make faces at the other drivers whenever their was a pile up- much to his mother's dismay.

Aside from that the trips were just relaxing. He got to eat all the fast food he wanted, and being out of the house for any reason is always a plus, and then there's the fact that school isn't an option when you wake up on a weekday.

"Himani did you check the map?" Asked Ozuma's mother. Her eyes were closed up until she felt a bump which jarred her from a rest, that seemed like sleep.

"Yes dear." Himani replied with a slight roll of his eyes. Women, what did they know about directions, most of them were often lost when it came to road trips. But they swear to the hills they know every which way to go because some piece of paper tells them so. Though, ask them to drive and the answer is always the same, 'umm no thanks.'

"Are you sure you didn't miss a turn?" The woman continued. "I don't see the truck anymore." She leaned forward as though craning her neck could extend her vision 30 more yards.

"Tsugani, the truck is right over there. Sometimes the cars and trucks can't be in the same lane." Ozuma's father explained, trying to keep an easy tone. He often got a bit edgey when it came to driving and he couldn't help it. But his family knows that it's not real anger and they should take it lightly.

Ozuma blinked as he listened to his parents conversation in the front area of the car. He loves them so much, they are always nice to him and listen to everything he says. They treat him as though he is their real son, and he couldn't have asked for better adoptive parents. Ozuma's real parents had died in a fire when he was very little, almost a baby, and the Balaji family picked him up from the adoption center almost two months after that.

Their new son had been quiet at first, far too young to understand why one day his parents would just be gone, never to return. Then he's surrounded by strangers until one day he is picked up by a pair of people who began to call him son. It was very confusing.

When Ozuma reached the age of 12, his host parents then explained to him that he is adopted and he understood that right away. And he continued to love them as though they were his real family and always would be.

His new mother and father are Native American. Ozuma is both Indian and Japanese from his real parents so the language barrier wasn't a hard one to over come and the cultures were very similar, you'd swear the whole incident had been written in the stars.

"I'm just making sure," Tsugani continued. Laying back on her seat she crossed her arms and relaxed into the position. Turning her head around, she smiled at her son saying, "Ozuma, what would you like for dinner, honey?"

"Uuhh," He had no clue. It was between not knowing and not really caring at this point, it felt a lot later than it was due to the fact that the clouds were dark with rain. But it is only around 5 o'clock. "I don't know."

"Pizza it is then." The woman laughed with glee. She always looked beautiful when she laughed, in fact he thought his mother to be the most beautiful woman in the world and his father the handsomest man. Tsugani has long black hair done in what people called a, wave effect, that stopped past her armpits. Her tanned skin had a lighter tinge to it than her husbands, and she looked like a gather of honey walking and her eyes, a serious brown, completed the look and gave some lean to her age being 35.

His father was almost an exact match to the woman only darker, his skin cast off more of a reddish brown and his hair is a shade darker due to the fact that it has no highlight to it, Himani's eyes are deep brown almost black, like looking into them you could get lost forever. He is a few inches taller than his wife standing at 5' 11'' to her petite 5' 7'' and he is 38 years old.

Ozuma is 15, 4' 10'' with beautiful cream colored skin from his mothers side and dark grayish hair with a burst of red running through the middle. His gorgeous green eyes make his looks exotic and you could spend hours gazing at the boy. Swept up in his beauty. Yeah the Balaji's are a good looking family and were stared at often whenever they went somewhere. Whether alone or together and they are very loved by all who know them.

But even with all the love and adoration the family had packed up their things and moved away. They have spent several years in Kita raising their new family, but now they are ready for a change and all the members of the family agreed that moving to Japan was a good idea, which brings them on this road trip.

Himani looked out the window with a worried expression. "Looks like a storm may be coming this way." He turned his attention back ahead of him. "We'd better get something portable and find a hotel to stay in."

"Good idea." Said Tsugani still looking rather relaxed, she could act like such a sloth sometimes, then be so energetic the next.

Ozuma's happy demeanor wore off at the thought of that. He hates storms, storms meant darkness, storms meant artificial light that hardly covered all the bases of comfort that he needed. Yes, it is true. Ozuma is afraid of the dark. He's been afraid ever since he was a child and it has never gone away- nor has it dwindled since it started. He wasn't sure if it ever would. "Is there one close b-..."

Boom!

He ducked his head down, covering his head with his arms as though to shield off the storm.

"One should be pretty close I saw a sign a ways back," his father mentioned. "I'll take the next exit."

"It's ok baby." His mother soothed, reaching a hand back to stroke the boys hair. "The storm can't get us inside the car."

"It's not really the storm I'm afraid of..." He clarified quickly.

His mother frowned. "We'll be at the hotel pretty soon, they'll have plenty of light inside."

The young boy nods, reaching for his blanket. Wrapping it securely around his body, leaving a gap on the back that acted as a hood, Ozuma rest his head against the window gazing up at the sky. _Just don't be severe_. He prayed.

Ozuma's mother gave her son one last sympathetic look before returning her attention to the road ahead. Leaning up in her seat she grabbed the knob for the radio turning it on. A light hearted song began to play into the air, calming the boy a bit. Smiling at her ease to her son, Tsugani's gaze slipped past him and out the window.

"Look there," she points a finger. "That poor couple..."

Both Ozuma and his father turned their heads to look out the window. There, standing on the side of the road were two people, what looked to be a male and a female. There heads were covered by thin jackets and their clothes seemed soaked to the bone, though there was no rain yet. How could they have gotten wet?

Both the man and woman's faces were covered in dirt, their bodies seemed soiled as well. Their posture appeared broken and slack as though they had run a great distance to get to the road. But something about them seemed off, more so than the dirt. Like maybe they weren't for real.

The woman held a sign in her hands, Ozuma squinted as he could barely make out the large words written on it.

"Run from Dawn..." Himani read. "Wonder what that could mean?"

"Beats me... probably hippies."

_Run from dawn..._ Ozuma ponders. His attention was called above him as he heard the sound of rain pounding down on top of the car. Lowering his back out the window, the young boys eyes widened in shock that the couple was gone. _Where did they... go?_ He didn't think his attention was away from them that long. But maybe it was for the better that they weren't there, the look of the couple was just too eerie to think about too long.

"There's the exit." Tsugani points out. "Not a minute too late either. I just wanna flop down on a bed and go to sleep."

"Yeah, I'll come back out and get dinner once we've got our rooms." His father informed them.

The car drove along the highway, splashing water up onto the grass beside the road. Ozuma glared out the window, vision set toward the light of the city in the distance. He is _beyond_ happy to be off the road when it came to rainy days. Give him good old sunshine any day of the week. Nice... bright... sunshine.

Tsugani began to sing the next song that started on the radio. Ozuma laughed when his father sped the car up to reach their destination faster, both of them knew more than anyone that when it came to singing, Tsugani Balaji is a minus.

...

"We'll be back before you know it." Himani told his son.

The family had checked into a nice room with two large beds. The room was wide and gorgeous! The walls of the hotel are an off yellow, pale like it was done for the summer season but the look worked well for any of the other three. Big glass windows are set on the right side of the room with heavy, cream colored curtains blocking out the view of the parking lot and blinking lights of the town in the distance.

A lovely entertainment center built of mahogany wood stands right in front of the beds, holding a 50" TV set and VCR underneath it on a compartment shelf. Pictures of what looked to be some Dutch home with several children playing outside, decorated the walls. To the left, by the door when you walk in is another door leading to a closet and across from that is the bathroom. A marble countered sink is set along the left wall of the bathroom, a long mirror from top to bottom is placed over the sink and the toilet a step or three away from it.

The shower is a walk in with no bath, shielded by heavy glass doors. The bathrooms décor is done in nothing but white. And finally, from wall to wall is a plush, beige colored carpet to match the curtains.

Ozuma had never seen a nicer place. Most of the hotels they stayed in weren't as ritzy as this place, but then again his father has a large company now, working on environmental studies and when it comes to pollution, the pay is enough to knock your eyeballs out of your head.

"You gonna be all right until we get back?" His mother dug into her luggage for something.

"Sure." He watched her intently.

"Here's the phone, you can call your friend if you want."

Smiling, her son accepts the phone. "Thanks."

"We'd better hurry, it sounds like it's getting pretty nasty our there."

Zipping up her jacket, making sure she was safe from the rain, Tsugani blew a kiss to her son.

Ozuma caught it with a mock of hesitance then placed it on his cheek. Once his parents walked out of the room, he flopped down on the bed bouncing once then twice, feeling the comfort under his car seat sore bottom.

Quickly, his fingers pressed in the familiar buttons to his pen pal over the net and by snail mail. He hadn't talked to him since they had gone on the road and he missed him dearly.

"Hello?" A high voice piped up on the other end of the phone.

"Hey Zeo." He smiled as he spoke to him.

He would never admit it to his friend- or anyone else for that matter- that he has developed somewhat of a little crush on the boy from all the letters they had written to each other over the years. Zeo is flamboyant, and funny and cares a lot for him- he can tell! Zeo's also genuinely a kind person, because even though they have no clue what each other look like, he compliments Ozuma's personality all the time.

That's what made this trip extra special, through writing the two boys found out that they would be attending the same school once classes started again in April, and that Zeo's house is a mere block away! They would finally get to see each other and maybe Ozuma could find the courage to... confess his feelings for the faceless friend.

"Are you guys still on the road? How close are you?" His friend asked, his voice sounded as though his full attention were on nothing and no one but him; it made Ozuma's heart begin to race.

"I can't really tell, my mom is hording the map to herself and my dad doesn't really keep us updated on that sort of thing." The mixed boy spoke in his fluent Japanese to his friend.

The toe of his sneaker busied itself by digging into the back heal of his left foot to pop the shoe from his foot, then his socked toe returned the favor to his right heal to remove that sneaker as well.

"But I think we're pretty close, I see a lot of signs written in Japanese when we're on the road."

"Cool! I can't wait to see you in person." Zeo cheered, enthusiasm in his tone. "I've been waiting for this since we started talking. Hahaha, my friend Tyson says he's never met anyone that's half Indian, half Japanese. He thinks you might look like an alien because your eyes are green."

"Tell Tyson _he's_ the one who sounds like an alien." Ozuma countered.

He knows about Tyson because Zeo spoke of him often enough, same as Tyson with Ozuma so they were comfortable picking on each other even if they've never met. They both know it's all in fun.

"With the way he eats, it sounds more like refueling to me."

Zeo laughed on the other end of the phone, his voice saying something to someone in the distance. "Sorry about that, we're having a sleep over tonight."

"That sounds cool, whose there?"

"Just-... ome of my best... Tyson a-... ax- oh and Mariam! I... you... comes from Kita too." His friends voice was suddenly broken in half, making the sentence choppy.

"What?" Ozuma covered one ear. There was an odd tapping sound coming from the window. "I can't hear you so good anymore, I think we're breaking up."

"Wha..." Zeo spoke back.

"I said-..."

A loud boom from outside startled Ozuma enough for him to jump a bit. The phone is dead. _That didn't sound like thunder._ He got off the bed carefully, folding the phone closed in his palm. _It sounded more like something hit the window._ He walked cautiously toward the window, not sure what he was going to see. A bird. Maybe a branch was close and it broke free hitting the glass on its way to the ground. Whatever it was, he had to know.

Ozuma paused at the window, fear addressing his actions silently though, telling him what he might see behind the thick curtain. His hand rest in mid-air just about to yank the curtain over then a thought crossed his mind. He turned, clicking on one extra light to make the room three times brighter then it was- just incase. Wetting his lips, he then gathered his courage and tugged the curtain over. His eyes were scrunched closed, then with another wave of hesitance he peeked the right eye open then the left.

His breath sucked in sharp as he saw the most horrifying thing, staring him in the face. It was the sign! The large black letters written on the cardboard glared at him as the couple from the road flashed through his mind.

_How did that get here?!_ He wondered, horror written all over his face.

He stepped forward looking out the window down at the street, almost as if he expected the couple to be standing down there looking up at him, but no one was there. _Run from dawn?_ He read it over. As if the weight of his mental words tugged at the sign, it lilted backward, falling to the concrete of the parking lot.


	2. Nice Place

Ozuma didn't sleep well last night. Images of that poster danced in his mind, the words ringing in and out of his ears. What could it mean? Is it a warning of some kind? A trick by that weird couple that held it? He didn't have the answers, he didn't think he would. And when his family left the hotel, he didn't see the poster anywhere in sight of the parking lot, so he figured that last night was just an illusion of his mind because he was afraid the lights would cut out. Had to have been.

But Ozuma was more then happy to be back on the road and on the way to their new home.

"Here come the houses," says the young boy's father. "Look over there." He points a finger.

A smile came to his mother's face. "Looks like a lake," Tsugani leaned over to get a better look out of the window on the drivers side of the car. "There's a tire swing-" She drew in a breath. "And a couple of kids are already out playing."

Ozuma turned his head to look out the window. One of those kids could be Zeo. It was farfetched, but you never know. He smiled as he watched the two kids, both boys jumping from the swing into the lake; their voices didn't carry very far but you could see that they were laughing even from the distance the car is from them.

The first of the two boys to emerge from under the water has a mop of gray bangs that dripped water over his face, and like Ozuma he had two-toned hair, showing off a short length of black hair at the back of his head. The boy was also very good-looking, his pale skin gave away the fact that he may be foreign to the country but he could very well get by anywhere.

The second boy, who was swimming dangerously close to his friend, has a long mop of black hair that was tied off behind his neck, with a skinny little band. This one was darker in complexion than his friend as his skin appeared to be a more caramel cream color like his own. But the cut of his eyes made him look more Chinese than Japanese.

"Oh my God," Tsugani sat back down in her seat blushing furiously.

Ozuma blushed as well. The two swimmers moved close to each other as if they were the only two in the world, and locked lips and kissed for all eyes to see.

Ozuma's father said nothing, but his son could tell he was uncomfortable as the car suddenly drove faster along the road. "The house is just a stone throw away." He murmured.

It's early in the afternoon, around twelve o'clock. The sun had come out after a night of rain, flexing its heat and emotional energy into the air. Ozuma shielded his eyes from the rays that came into the window, glad for the cool air created by the rushing car. His heart was beginning to pound now. He couldn't wait to check out the new house, and to maybe get out with his new friends and find the two kids from the lake. He had so many questions to ask them.

The car jumped a bit, it came to a bridge and an elevated board popped up the front wheel.

"We have to cross a bridge?" Ozuma wondered out loud. What kind of house was this. And now that he noticed it, they seemed to be off the road where all the houses lined up and they're now heading into the woods.

"It's a very private home, out in the woods..." Himani spoke as though he were giving a lecture or demonstration of the property. "There are many acres to the ground; think of all the backyard you'll have to play in."

"Yeah, and most of it's forest." The young boy mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. The trees whipped past the car, giving minimal view of anything beyond them, though Ozuma could see a house or two a good walk away. _What was that_? He strained his vision to look through the trees at a fast moving figure- wait. _Three_ of them! _What if it's that couple again. What if they're following us because I looked at them too long?_ He rolled his eyes at himself. _Yeah right, who stalks people because they stare too long?_

Whatever it was, was lost in the background as the car pulled off to the right, slowing to a stop in the driveway of their new home. Ozuma's mother was in verbal awe as she saw the place. Her hands clapped in applause at the sight.

Ozuma was impressed at the size of it; considering the house was in the woods he thought it would be under kept, a flat level, and creepy beyond all reason. But the house was like any normal house. A three story, wide home with a few wooden stairs leading to a shaded and screened off porch; fresh white paint gleaming in the sunshine as though it were coated just that morning and black shutters on each window.

There was no garage like his old home but the house does have a carport where their vehicle has parked under, a shed placed directly in front of it, attached right to the top. While Ozuma continued to gawk at the place, his family got out of the car bringing him from his thoughts with the slam of the car doors.

Opening his own door, he looked around wondering where the truck was with their things. Although, thinking about that bridge, there was no way a truck could make it across it. So how were they going to get their things?

"Son, we're gonna have to walk back to the main road to get the boxes," His father said as if he had read his sons thoughts. "You go on inside and pick out a room, we'll be back with some of the movers, okay."

Nodding, he replied. "Okay."

The trunk of the car popped open and his mother began to unload their luggage. "You take care of the things in the trunk, put them anywhere you like as long as it's not in a doorway."

"Okay."

The sound of a car in the distance grew closer. Ozuma looked in the direction of the sound blankly, clutching onto a bag that was placed in his arms. His father walked into his vision heading in the direction they had just come from.

"There's the movers with a pick up." Waving an arm. "Prepare your strength, Tsugani." He teased.

The woman laughed, flexing invisible muscle. "You mean, _Wonder Woman_." She walked to where her husband stood waiting for her. "Ozuma, we'll get lunch as soon as all the boxes are inside."

"Don't worry, I'll just get something from the cooler." He raised his knee to pop the bag into his hand for a better grip.

A new model pick-up truck, followed by an older model parked along side the path to their house. His mother and father climbed in beside the drivers of each car and once they were settled in their seats, both vehicles then sped off back down the path.

Ozuma watched them a moment, before proceeding into the house. But on his way in he couldn't help but feel that a pair of eyes were on him the whole time. _I must be imagining things_, thought the young boy to relax his unsettling nerves, though his pace hurried as he made his way inside his families new home.

The screen door swung shut with a loud _clack_ behind him. He brought the bag into the living room, his jaw dropping almost instantly at the size of the place from the inside. _Wow, this place is nicer than our old house_.

For bare, the living room consists of three big windows at the back of the wall. To the front where the hall opens up and to the left of where Ozuma stood, is a door that leads into a spacious kitchen and to the right of him another door that he could guess was a closet.

"I wonder where the stairs are." Walking through the living room, he dropped the bag to the floor.

His path continued into the kitchen and right beside the entry way from the living room on his right is a pair of stairs leading to the upper level of the house. The wood creaked under his foot as he began to climb them, but deciding against it he walked back outside to retrieve the rest of their bags.

No sooner had the young boy made it outside did he hear another twig snap. This time closer. Looking up into the trees, he wondered if it were a bird or squirrel.

"Buh! Buh! Buh! Buh!" A low chant picked up.

Ozuma froze mid grab, turning his attention to the forest behind him. "Who's there?" He called out. The chanting continued.

"Buh! Buh, buh, buh!"

"You'd better come out! I'm not scared!" He shouted this time, trying to walk cautiously toward the house.

A laugh came in the distance then copied the other two voices with the chanting sounds. Now that he listened closely it sounded like normal, human voices- granted a bit muffled, but that could have been because of the distance.

"Whoever you are, get off of our property!" He tried to keep his voice tough, to show he meant business.

Out of nowhere, someone or something popped out of the woods. There was no way it wasn't a kid, because it was short, he could tell that even from them being hunched over. Only they wore a weird blue and green painted mask over their faces, so he couldn't tell who it was. Not that he would have known either way, being new to the place and all.

"Did you hear what I said!? Get lost!" He tried again.

This only produced another child, also wearing a mask. This one was decorated with red, yellow and a bit of blue and gray. Ozuma was getting angry now. If this is what the natives call a "friendly" greeting, he didn't appreciate it.

The two masked children took a step forward, keeping their chants going. Ozuma stepped back then, he wasn't much of a fighter but he knew enough to defend his self on the streets if he had to.

The look of retreat, though, is what fenced him in as another child came from out of hiding. This one wearing a mask a little better decorated than the first two intruders, lines of purple and blue stained over a white background accented the look nicely. He two began to circle the boy as they went in a circle.

"Whoever you are," Ozuma spoke with a toughness in his voice. "My parents are right down the street and they'll be back any minute, so you'd better back off while you still have the chance."

They advanced closer.

"Did you hear me!" He shouted over their chants, the trespassers voices lowering to nothing. "My dad's really big- six, maybe seven feet tall..."

The kid with the white mask laughed with a high pitched voice that sounded oddly familiar. "Are we supposed to be scared?" He asked, his voice muffled but still shrillest behind the mask. "Get him boys."

The other two masked children started their tribal chanting again, rushing straight at him. Ozuma could only tense when their arms came around his own. The boy who spoke walked directly up to him, face to mask... then unexpectedly, he knelt down and bowed.

"What?"

"You did good, Ozuma."

"How do you know my name?" He asked with malice, ready to attack the boy- if he could get his arms free.

"Ahaha!" The boy laughed before yanking his mask from his head, the elastic band snapping back into the place inside the mask after being stretched around the boys face. "Don't tell me you don't recognize my voice?"

Ozuma's eyes widened, he knew that voice sounded familiar. "Ze- Zeo?!"

The other two boys let go of their hold on Ozuma, yanking their masks off as well. Their faces visible now. An adorable blond stood at his left, his shag covering his head like a blond wild fire shading slightly over his big blue eyes that shined with mischief from their little game. He looked about 5' 2'' maybe 3'' he couldn't tell, but judging by his smile the boy hadn't a care in the world and lived life only with happy thoughts. Which suited his pale angelic looks rather nicely, he could imagine.

The other boy was the complete opposite of him, tanned authentic Japanese looks with dark hair and dark auburn eyes that could burn a hole in your head if he stared too long. His long black hair was pulled into a ragged ponytail with stray strand spikes, resting here and there atop his head. He seemed to be about the same height as the other child but an inch or two taller. Only this one has a smirk reading that 'only the devil may care' about what things he may be up to in a day.

But the one who caught his attention the most was the beautiful boy who stood before him. His pen pal, Zeo. His biggest _crush_, Zeo. His friends large blue eyes were accented perfectly to his aquatic blue green hair, that attractively hung well below his waist line down his back in a braid with bangs that shaded most of his sweet pale face- maybe not as pale as the blond but a shade of more normal complexion. He is a foot taller than Ozuma, as was the other two and seemed to hold himself on the between line of popular and average. And Ozuma was head over heels for him.

"I hope we didn't scare you too much," The tanned boy laughed. "It was kinda funny though, I thought for sure you were gonna cry any minute."

"Tyson." The blond scolded. Placing a genuine smile to his face he held out a hand to Ozuma. "I'm Max, and sorry about that before- especially if we offended you by it."

"By what?" He shook Max's hand. "The Indian chants," he laughed. "Naah, it's fine. Needs work though."

The boy, Tyson, laughed in scoff to that. "Yeah right, it was bang on!" He adjusted his mask back over his face, calling out the chants again.

Zeo and Max laughed at their friend. Zeo turned his attention back to his close even from the distance friend. "Welcome to Osaka, Ozuma..." Reaching behind his back he pulled something into view. A plain white mask. "This is for you, now you can be part of our group."

Max leaned an elbow on Ozuma's shoulder. "He worked on it aaall last week, hope you like it here."

Ozuma took the mask from his friend, smiling down at it. "Thanks... what's the group?"

This got Tyson's attention as he stopped his chanting and bouncing around to get right up on Ozuma saying, "We call ourselves the, Shield Breakers! And we... well we..."

"Meet once a week," Max continued. "Talk about this and that, you know club stuff. Mostly we're into Beyblading. Have you heard of it?"

"Yeah, I have a blade." Ozuma replied. "It's a flash Leopard."

"Cool! Can I see it?" Tyson looked about ready to pounce on him in search of said item.

"It's in my bag, inside." He shot his thumb in the direction of the house. "Oh! The bags." He remembered. Running over to the car, he reached inside pulling two then a third of luggage out the back.

"Here, I'll help you with those." Zeo offered.

"_Sweet_! Have you picked out a room yet?" Tyson was rushing inside before the others caught up.

Max grabbed the third bag following Ozuma and Zeo inside the house.

"This place is _huge_!" Tyson was off somewhere inside. "I've always wanted to see inside this place."

"Tyson be polite!" Max called out to his friend. Which by the tone in his voice, Ozuma was beginning to believe there was something more there. "Haha, sorry about him, once he gets excited there's no stopping him."

_A whole lot more_. Thought the Native Japanese boy. "It's ok. Maybe he can get me the best room."

The other two boys chuckled.

"Just set the bags anywhere." His mothers words played through his thoughts. "Just not in the way of the movers." He mentioned.

"You're really gonna like it here." Zeo went on saying, there was an odd hesitance in his voice every time he spoke to him. Not at all like when they were on the phone with one another or the boy from the letters.

Ozuma hoped he wasn't disappointed with him in some way. He really wanted to keep his friendship with the boy, and who knows maybe develop it into more.

"Hey guys! Come check out this bedroom!" Tyson yelled, louder than needed, down the stairs.

The three boys bounded up the stairs searching the hall and open doors for the Japanese boy.

"Which room?" Asked Max.

"The last one."

Walking at an even pace down the hall, they found Tyson where he said he was. The boy stood by the window looking out at the view. "Pretty sweet isn't it? You should take this one, dude."

It was a nice sized room, _really_ nice actually. All it needed is a built in bathroom and it'd be perfect. "I don't see why not."

"So where's your bag? I wanna get a look at your blade."

"I think this box is slipping." His mothers voice traveled up the stairs from wherever she was in the house. "Ozumaaa! We got lunch, Chinese hope you don't mind."

"Food!" Tyson dashed off faster than a man with his butt on fire. Trampling down the stairs two at a time.

"We don't have the bowls off the truck but you can-... Oh! Hello..." She trailed off being greeted by a child who definitely wasn't her son. "Who are you?"

"I'm Tyson, Mrs. Ozuma..." He smiled politely while keeping a close eye on the containers in the new kids mother's hand.

Ozuma then appeared in the living room. "Hi mom."

"There you are," She handed the bag over to her son. "I went to get lunch while your father loaded the truck. Who are...?" She trailed off looking at each boy with curiosity.

"These are my new friends, Tyson." He points to him, "Max."

"Hello." The blond waved.

"And my pen pal Zeo."

"Hello."

"Hi." Zeo replied.

"Uhh, is it alright if my friends stay for lunch?" Ozuma asked, turning away from Tyson who nudged him like a hungry puppy for the food.

"I don't see why not, I'm sure there's enough chopsticks in the bag." Walking back to the front hall. "I have to go back and help your father. Bye boys."

"Good bye."

"Let's eat!" Tyson announced, swiping the bag rushing it upstairs to Ozuma's new bedroom.

...

Commentary: Thank you for the review.


	3. Attraction

Ozuma and his new friends of the Shield Breakers sit on the floor in his new bedroom, eating lunch with him. The four boys are gathered in a small circle around the styrofoam containers, each carton open showing off the steaming hot food inside: a batch of fried rice with big bits of beef stirred into it, and a little pile of pot stickers in the other. Beside them lay a clear little bag with two egg rolls inside. What more could they want. Only problem was that the carrying bag only came with three sets of chopsticks.

"No big deal." Max picked up a pair of the thin wooden sticks. "Ty' and me can share. I don't care."

"_No_, you're the guest. I think you should have them."

"But then what will you use?" Asks Zeo.

Ozuma shrugged a response, he really didn't want to be rude. Damn those people at that Chinese place. Although, they are just a family of three. How were they to know they'd be eating with spare persons?

Zeo fidgeted beside the boy, wondering what he should do. "Listen, it's fine. I'll just-..."

Tyson groaned loudly, saying. "Sticks, hands, as long as food reaches my mouth, I don't care how it got there." He was already helping his self to one of the pot stickers, digging his fingers into the bunch.

Blushing slightly, Ozuma turned to his penpal friend, saying "...Zeo?"

"I don't mind sharing them with you." The boy replied without the question being presented.

But he suddenly looked down at his lap, almost as though the idea of it were a little odd and he really didn't plan on using the chopsticks either way. So with that settled, and Tyson busy with the container of pot stickers, Max took the second set of chopsticks and dug in. Zeo playing with his fingers before reaching for the pair he shares with Ozuma.

"So," the blue haired teen started conversation to ease the tension. "Does your family move around a lot? Or is this your first time?"

"It's my first time," replied Ozuma, keeping his gaze on the greasy egg roll between his fingers. "My family was never really big on the moving scene."

"So why move now?" Asked Tyson, his eyes focusing on the new boy.

Ozuma shrugged. "I guess it was just time for a change." He took the offered sticks from Zeo. Electricity ran up his arm when their fingers touched briefly.

He had to get a hold of his self or he'd surely ruin his friendship with him, and over the years it had become so strong. He didn't want to lose it because his penpal thought him disgusting or weird.

"My dad got an offer to work down here, I know that much. But usually, he just says no when it comes to switching locations."

"It's a good thing too," Max chimes in with a wave of his hand. "Bakkirri Street is the best place to live, we've got tons of stuff to do around here." The blond's eyes shot up to the ceiling as he thought out loud with his fingers marking each statement. "There's movies, cheap deli's and diners and they have a go-kart track in the city!" He seemed the most proud of that. "A community center where my mom works..." He continued to name places off.

Ozuma nods. An image ran through his mind of the couple at the lake. "I saw this lake on the way over here, there were two guys there."

"Two guys...?" Tyson paused his chewing. "What'd they look like?"

"Did one of them have a patch of gray in his hair?" Zeo asked.

"Yeah, he did! Do you know him?"

Ozuma took another bite from his egg roll, it was impossible to focus on chewing when he had this many knots in his stomach. Better to switch to a lighter food. Leaning the chopsticks toward the rice, he felt Zeo's hand intercept with his hand, he nearly dropped the sticks to the floor from the touch.

"Sorry," He muttered.

"No, it was my fault." Zeo retorts, giving a little bow.

Tyson and Max nearly laughed out loud at how obvious their two friends were. You could cut their feelings in half with a knife it's so thick.

Clearing his throat to save the two- which Ozuma was glad for- Max states to the new boy. "That was Kai and Rei, they're pretty cool-..."

"_Tch_!" Interrupts Tyson. "They're jerky loners! You'd be better off getting along with a cranky dog, when it comes to Kai.. and Rei- well, he'd be all right as long as Kai wasn't around, other than that he's just as bad- _maybe_ worse."

"They seemed pretty normal to me, they were even smiling."

Tyson shrugged. "Who wouldn't be when you're about to get your-..."

"_Shut up,_ Tyson." Max shoved an egg roll into the Japanese boy's mouth. Giving his head a shake feverishly to his boyfriend's bold way of expressing his self.

"Whu-..?" Tyson's muffled voice tried to ask. With a few adjustments from his jaws he began to chew the greasy food with ease. "Worried wart. I wasn't gonna say anything dirty."

The three boys laughed at the hungry male as he pounds his chest with his fist to get the egg roll into his stomach safely.

Downstairs, the screen door closed with a loud bang alerting them that his parensts were back.

"I'd better go help them," Ozuma stood.

"I'll come with you." Zeo volunteered. That got a smile from his Indian friend.

Tyson looked horrified suddenly. "Listen Ozuma, I'd love to pay you back for the food, but maybe another time. Come on Max, I think I hear my mom calling." Hopping to his feet, he pulls Max up and the two waved good bye to their new friend as they exit the room.

"We'll be back tomorrow, Ozuma. See you later." Max called from the hall.

"Bye."

Zeo was still beside the food, packing it up, closing the lids to the containers. "They may seem strange at first sight, but when you get to know them they're pretty sane."

"Who, Max and Tyson?" Ozuma joined him in a crouch, stacking up the containers so he could carry them downstairs to the fridge.

"Mm-mm." He shook his head. "Kai and Rei, they're pretty nice guys. Tyson doesn't like them because he was kicked out of the lake by them one day." He shrugged. "Tyson doesn't let things like that go unforgotten, so the reason they're loners is because no one else will talk to them."

"Because Tyson says so?" Ozuma thought about the boy a moment. Goofy, maybe a little spontaneous with a dash of arrogance, but he would never peg Tyson an instigator. "He must be really popular."

"There aren't really that many kids around here our age, so aside from us, everyone else is 12 and under." He stood, holding the cartons. "Hahaha, so saying something to them and having them believe it is kinda easy."

"Oh."

His mother and father hadn't called him yet, so he figured they must be fairing alright by themselves. That was good because he wanted some alone time with Zeo. The two had talked about so much to each other over the years, a little of this- a lot of that, but never the important stuff like-... sexual preference.

"So... Rei and Kai... are they... _together_?" He asked trying not to make eye contact.

He couldn't bare to see anger flaring up in Zeo if he didn't take well to people being gay, and even though their conversation had been cut short the other day, Ozuma was fairly sure that Zeo had mentioned a girls name to him. Could she be his girlfriend or someone like that? A secret crush maybe?

"They're together, yeah." He walked out of the room. "So're Max and Tyson." He threw in like it were the most natural sentence in the world.

"_They are_?!" Ozuma was shocked.

Zeo laughed as though he had a secret joke going. Or, that it was funny of Ozuma not to have noticed how obvious the two were with each other.

"How long have they been together?" He followed after him.

"Hmm? About... two months."

This time it was Ozuma's turn to laugh. "You make that sound like mold, is being with Tyson for that long hard or something?"

Zeo paused in his steps, making Ozuma stop suddenly, nearly crashing into the boys back. "No, not really. I think he just isn't very good with lengthy relationships- check out before you're the one whose dumped, that kinda thing."

Ozuma made an audible sound as they began to walk again toward the stairway. The Indian boy swallowed hard to get his nerves together before saying, "What about you? Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No. I have a _female_ friend, Mariam, she's alright." He replied casually, giving no hint as to which 'no' it meant.

Zeo could have meant, 'No- and I would never want one', which will make Ozuma beyond happy. Or, he could mean 'No. I haven't asked her yet?' The questions ran through his mind with cleats on, scraping away, just waiting for the wrong answer to plant itself in his mind so that he'd feel shunned forever.

"I tried to tell you over the phone, that the two of you might have something in common," Zeo went on as though the question had been thoroughly answered. "Because she comes from Kita as well."

"That's cool."

They headed down the stairs in brief silence. Ozuma looked around for his mom and dad seeing no one. He was beginning to wonder if that were them he'd heard at all. It might have been an intruder or a raccoon- are there raccoons in these woods?

"Here's some more boxes," Zeo points out. "Must be yours, your names on it."

Ozuma's mind was else where so he barely heard what the boy had said. Bending down, he picked up the box giving it another hoist to secure it in his arms and with Zeo on his tail, he wandered back up the stairs. Once inside his room, they put the boxes down on the floor. Ozuma ripped away the duct tape that held it closed, praying to God that there wasn't anything embarrassing inside the unmarked box.

_Next time we move, I'll label my things better than just my name._ He assured his self.

The box flaps dropped open, there were a few things inside: his lamp, his night lights, an alarm clock and a couple packaged batteries. Beside them was the object he used them for, his CD player and next to that was a small case of CD's.

Zeo picked up one of the night lights studying it a bit. "I thought you were joking about being so afraid of the dark... there's a lot of night lights in here." Holding it so that Ozuma could see it. "Do these turn on when the lights go out?"

"Yeah, they have a censor." He replied, trying to keep the humiliation from his voice, wishing that Zeo wouldn't make a case out of it and just put the light back into the box.

"Cool..." Placing the light into the box, he sat back on his knees and sighed. "...Ozuma? Can I ask you a personal question?"

"...How personal?" Questioned the Indian boy. He didn't usually like that particular sentence because what came after it was never good.

"Kinda _very_ personal."

"O...kay."

Zeo closed his eyes, to ready his self for the answer. "Are you gay?"

Now his heart was racing, Zeo seemed shy but he also seemed a bit cautious of the question. "...I think so- I've never had a boyfriend to know but... Is there anyway to answer that, if you don't know?"

"I don't know..." Zeo looked down at his lap after a quick glance to his friend. "I know I am."

Ozuma smiled at that, releasing his held breath. "You are?!"

Zeo nods mekely.

"That's great!" He flung his arms around Zeo's shoulders.

"It is?" He hugged him back, smiling at the close contact. It was still a little trippy seeing his penpal in person like this. It usually is for some people.

"It is because..." The Indian boy cocked his head from side to side. "I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable when I told you that I was gay." He let go of his hold, looking the boy in his beautiful blue eyes.

Zeo smiled into a laugh, he just felt so relieved! "And all this time I was worrying about telling you! I don't know why I never brought it up before when we wrote to each other."

"I guess we were just a little uncomfortable with how the other person would react that's all..."

They sat in an awkward silence, wondering what new possibilities have just opened up to them. How many new things were going to happen, now that they both know the only secret they had ever kept from each other over the years.

"Ozuma." His father's voice travels up the stairs.

"I'm coming!" The young boy called back.

"I'll stay if you want my help, and" he stood. "I'm sorry for being so weird before, I just kept thinking about telling you and the wrong reaction came up every time. It got me a little bottled up."

Ozuma shook his head. "Me too so, don't worry about it." He pats the other boy on the shoulder.

"Ozuma!" His father called again.

"I'm coming!" He walked out of his bedroom.

Zeo touched his shoulder where Ozuma's hand had been fondly. Maybe he could show him the lake in person someday and then he could tell his penpal his true feelings for him.

...

Ozuma, Zeo, and his mom and dad were busy most of the afternoon putting boxes into the correct room so that unpacking would be easier. Luckily, Ozuma's parents had a better packing sense than he did making the task go a lot quicker.

Eventually Zeo had gone home. He said goodbye to his friend and started away as the sun began to set. That's when the first problem cropped up.

"..." His father flicked at a light switch. "Damnit." Setting down the box he held, he flicked it again as though the box were the obstruction. "Tsu'... Do you have that box with the light bulbs?!" He called out into nowhere, not knowing the location of the house his wife were in.

"I was gonna ask you the same question, there are no light bulbs down here! I can't see a thing!"

Sighing angrily, Himani walked into the hallway. "Son, I'm gonna need a few of your night lights."

Ozuma already had his room well lit, as he sorted through his boxes and suit cases for the items he needs. "How many is a few?" He was serious too, because to Ozuma every light counted. And the fact that he never had to rent them out before, made him a little cautious of them.

"Stop fooling around. I need about two or three." His father held a hand out for them.

Sucking on his bottom lip, Ozuma sighed imward and reached into his box pulling three lights out. "Here."

Himani nodded a thank you. "I'll give them back once we find the light bulbs."

"You left them at the old house, you and mom were talking about it before we left."

"We were?"

"Yeah, you said we wouldn't need them anyway and who brings light bulbs with them."

His father seemed to recall the words and he frowned. "I did, didn't I?" Turning to leave the room he froze in his steps, slightly startled to see his wife standing there behind him. "Tsu-... Sorry sweetie, here's a li-..?"

Ozuma looked to where his father was standing, curiosity written all over his face. He didn't see anyone. "Who're you talking to?" He asked, seeing that his father was just as confused as he was.

"No one... I guess I must have had a little too much light in my eyes." He shook his head. "I thought I saw your mother in the hall." Looking back at his son, he held the night lights up as though to say thank you again. "I'll give them back once we locate the lamps."

"Okay."

He heard his mother downstairs, a loud sound following her voice. "I need some light _now_, please!" She called from the distance.

"I'm on my way!" His father made a mock angry face at his son. The young boy laughed as he continued to unpack.

_That's right, I'd better put one in the bathroom._ Taking out a light that had the brightest bulb wattage, he hurried down the dim hallway to the bathroom. Flicking the light switch up, he laughed a moment as he had just that quickly forgotten that there were no bulbs. Feeling around the walls, he tried to locate a socket but found there was none. _Great._

"Ozumaaa! Your father and I are going to have to go to the store." His mothers tone seemed to have some agitation in it. "Apparently, we even de-bulb the-... Oh," She lowered her voice seeing her son coming down the stairs rather quickly. "lamps... are you alright?"

"Yeah, it's just there are no sockets in the bathroom."

"That's okay, just light a candle, they should be somewhere." She informed. "We'll be back as soon as we can."

"It's kinda late, are you sure there's even a store open?" Ozuma seemed to be stalling them. The last thing he wanted was to be left alone in a dark house, and all the night lights in the world wouldn't cure the panic attacks he was about to have.

"Honey it's..." She narrowed her eyes, "well, I'll know when I get in the car. You'll be fine, just go in your room and play that game thing you have."

"Why can't I come?"

"Better you put your bed together so you can sleep." His father dismissed. "We'll be back."

"Okay..." He sounded like a kicked dog, looked like one too.

His mother planted a kiss on his forehead. "It's not forever, just ten minutes." His father was hustling the woman from the house.

"Lock the door." He informed.

"I will."

It closed seconds before his response and he sighed. The lock turned on the door, and he looked into the darkness beyond. Who's bright idea was it to put the stairs in the kitchen?! He could smack his head against the wall all day on that one, but instead he decided to muster up the courage and return to his room.

'_Did you hear that?_' Someone said in the distance ahead. The voice was so raspy and paper thin, he almost couldn't make it out- almost.

Ozuma struggled with the knob, his hands desperate as he clung to the knob as though he had forgotten it was locked. Fumbling with the little lock, he managed to pry the door open and he ran outside. "Moooom! Daad!" He shouted but the car was already down the road. "Come baack!"

Panicking, he covered his ears backing up. If he was afraid inside, than he would just stay outside. Pressing his back to the house, he curled into the fetal position and began to sing.

"Ignore the words it's in your head, ignore the shadows under your bed..." He sniffled. "You're mommies here, and your daddy too..." His words faltered as he knew this part at the moment wasn't true. "And all there love will..." He rocked forward and back. "protect you."

He sang it over and over in a chant until his parents return...


	4. Eyes Wide Open or Shut?

Ozuma felt the comfort of his mattress beneath him before he realized he was in his bedroom. _How did I get in here?_ His eyes remain closed. _Never mind that, when did I fall asleep?_ This time his eyes opened, the out of focus blur began to clear up and with a quick glance around the room, his emerald orbs confirmed that he was alone inside his bedroom and for the most part safe.

Ozuma's head hurt though, as if he may have popped it against something unknowingly. _Did my parents put me in here?_ A hand came up to his forehead. The thought of yelling for the two crossed his mind, but just when he started to open his mouth he heard someone speaking.

"I wish those damned movers didn't just decide to leave the couch in the middle of the room like this." It's his mother.

That must mean they had brought him inside and put him to bed. But that still didn't explain when he had gone to sleep. Was it outside, or a little after? ...God, why couldn't he remember what's happened? _I must have gone outside for some reason. But why?_ He wondered. In hopes to dull his headache, Ozuma sat upright on the mattress, noticing by the weight of his elevation that the mattress rest on the floor.

"We'll move it in the morning, Tsu'." Came his father. "Don't worry about it."

_In the morning?_ Ozuma thought. With an inaudible grunt, he pushed himself up to his feet, wobbling a bit, until he could regain his control. He held out a hand to airspace searching for something to help him keep a balance, but soon gave up feeling his mind clearing a bit more. _It can't still be dark outside..._

Parting the blinds between his fingers, Ozuma peered out the window jumping back as his gaze came into contact with the reflection of his own eyes. "Hu!" He lost his footing coming down to the floor on his butt with a thud, wincing from the mild pain that rushed through his tail bone.

"Did you hear that?" Himani asked.

"Yeah," He heard foot steps in the distance. "Ozumaaa!? Are you all right?!"

At first, because he was still so startled by what had just happened, he thought he wasn't able to speak. Clearing his dry throat a second, he tried to answer. "Y-.." it cracked and he spoke again. "Yes! I'm ok!" He nursed his butt a moment with his palm giving it a quick rub.

"I'm sorry we had to borrow the night lights in your room," His mother went on. "You were asleep, and we were going to give them back in the mor-..."

Ozuma hadn't heard the rest of what his mother was saying, just noticing that the room was pitch black! "Nooo..." He covered his head, panic racing through his entire body. Somehow his legs began to scoot him backward against the wall for self protection and he screamed as though he were on fire. "Moommmy! Mommy! Mommy!" Over and over.

Foot steps tore up the stairs followed by another set that could only be his father's. He seemed to run past his wife as he appeared in the room first, ready to stop anyone who dared make his son afraid. Looking around he saw no offender, just his frightened son in the corner of his bedroom. Relaxing his posture, Himani walked over to him.

Ozuma flinched away from the man's touch as though he were whatever monster or horrible image that ran through his head, when thoughts of what lurked in the dark gripped him.

"Ozuma?" Tsugani pulled her son into her arms. "Ssshhh, hush 'zuma, mommies here now, nothing is gonna get you."

A low click sounded beside the boy, and he opened his eyes to see that his father had turned on a flash light. His hand extended as he gave it to his son. "Is that better?" He asked, petting his hair in a comforting way.

"I'm sorry," explained their son. "I got scared... It was dark... a-aand when you left before, I heard this voice inside the house."

"A voice?" Tsugani wondered.

His father shrugged. "It might have been one of the movers." He offered, no sign of doubt in his voice. How was he to know if the men left or remained somewhere around the house. A few things were moved around downstairs, they just figured Ozuma had done it. "I'll get those damn people if they tried to steal from us."

Tsugani shook her head. Never mind the damn items when their son is so obviously freaked out. "Is that why you were outside, you heard someone in the house?" She asked. Rising to her feet intending to leave the room, her grip never leaving from around her son's shoulders.

Ozuma nodded, clinging to the flashlight tighter than his mother, as he was led downstairs with them.

His mother made a pained sound for her son, rubbing his arm fondly. "Well everything is fine now. We're here and nobody can get you."

Once downstairs and in the well lit living room, Ozuma felt that he could relax. Closing his eyes, he listened to the sounds of his parents putting items from the boxes in their correct places. Sounds of his mother and father shuffling up and down the stairs filled the quiet home with sound.

Their son remained on the couch resembling a shivering puppy that was left out in the rain for too long. Every now and then his eyes peeked open to assure himself that he remained all right. _Rrrr... Stop worrying! My parents are back and everything is fine..._ He sighed tiredly. _And it's just like dad said, it was one of the movers and nothing more_. Hugging his arms around his body, he closed his eyes again giving way to sleep.

/ The car sped down the street in hopes to get out of the rain. Ozuma sat in back looking out the window at the dark clouds looming over head. He was worried and a little scared, because storms meant anything could happen and even in the daytime, light would be limited for him. _Just please, don't be severe_. He asked in silent prayer.

Tsugani looked past her son out the window, her gaze catching sight of something. "Look there," she points a finger. "That poor couple..."

Both Ozuma and his father turned their heads to look out the window. There standing on the side of the road were two people, what looked to be a male and a female. There heads were covered by thin jackets and their clothes seemed soaked to the bone, though there was no rain yet. How could they have gotten wet?

Both the man and woman's faces were covered in dirt, their bodies seemed soiled as well. Their posture appeared broken and slack as though they had run a great distance to get to the road. But something about them seemed off, more so than the dirt. Like maybe they weren't for real.

The woman held a sign in her hands, Ozuma squinted as he could barely make out the large words written on it.

"Run from dawn..." Himani read. "Wonder what that could mean?"

"Beats me... probably hippies."

_Run from dawn..._ Ozuma ponders.

His attention was called above him as he heard the sound of rain pounding down on top of the car. Lowering his back out the window, the boy's eyes widened in shock that the couple was gone.

_Where did they... go?_ He didn't think his attention was away from them that long. But then he saw them...

The couple had dropped their sign and started right out onto the freeway! "...Mom." Ozuma tried calling his parents attention. "Dad..." They seemed not to hear him at all, almost as though the back seat of the car no longer exists.

The cars on the road began to swerve in attempt to avoid the couple that darted and swaggered through them. Were they running towards the Balaji's car!? Some of the cars began to burst into flame at contact with another car. Some of them swiveled into the grass, banging into trees. Metal scraped as cars slid beside other ones being dragged a distance before giving out and exploding.

Some of them flipped over rolling two or three times before stopping and being hit by another. All this chaos going on and his parents seemed to see and hear nothing. The other cars apparently saw them, why else would they be flying out of the way?

Rain poured down from the sky drenching the massacre with its luke-warm droplets. But nothing not even the roll of thunder or the crash of lightning stopped these peoples' feet from moving. Water splashed about their ankles as the couple hurried toward the car; the woman's arms extend before her reaching with her hands to grab any part of the car that would come within grasp.

_Please... please drive faster..._ Ozuma panicked.

His bottom lip quivered as fear gripped him. It seemed that every chant for the car to speed up only caused the opposite effect as they slowed down. The couple couldn't have been any farther than a short yard away from them. Why is the car slowing down!

As if on cue, the man made the first dive at the car. His hands stuck to the back window like they had the suction of an octopus attached to his palms. Ozuma jumped back at the man's impact to the window, his head bumped against the back of his father's seat. The frightened boy's chest heaved up and down almost as though it had a led weight resting upon it and breathing became impossible. He felt imaginary nails digging into each of the fleshy sacks that are his lungs, making it almost impossible not to hyperventilate.

Up close, Ozuma could see that this was no ordinary human being. The man's skin was a horrible grayish color, like his body had been drained of its blood and replaced with sewer sludge but the worst part of all was that...

"Uuuughhhh!" A cold wind blew into the car.

Ozuma's head turned, a frightened yelp spat from his mouth. He was so hung up on the man that he had forgotten about his wife and in that instant she found her way into the car. Her face was just as dreadful as her husband's, dirty gray skin but with a tint less color than he possessed. And also like her husband the woman had no-...

"Aaaa!" Ozuma kicked at her nabbing hands with his feet. The woman's upper body rest on the seat in the car ,and she already had a bony hand on Ozuma's foot as he couldn't react quickly enough to move out of the way. "Aah haa haa..." He cried out, tears running down his face. "Let gooo!"

Ozuma's head dropped down with no warning, he could have banged it up pretty badly on the bottom of the car had it landed there, instead it came into contact with something squishy and wet. It didn't take him long to realize the man was behind him, a strong arm wrapped around his waist , pulling at him.

The man and his wife under went a battle of tug-o-war with his short teen, stretching him beyond the extension his skin would allow, causing pain in his mid-section. "Mooom! Daaad!" He struggled against the mans hands. "Heeelp meee, pleeeaase!"

His parents heard and saw nothing. It was almost like they were dead to the world there in the front seat, no movement, no sign of life... just dead statues.

"Hello!" The woman spoke, her grizzle tone just as dirty as her appearance. "Hello! Hello!" She continues to chant.

"Hello! Hello! Ozumaaaa..."

The frightened boy cried as he struggled in the man's grip, moving his head from the closeness of the drowned stranger's cold lips to his ear.

"Hello! Hello!" He grumbles. /

If it weren't for the sharp sound of a bell ringing, Ozuma might have stayed in the dream forever. But luckily his eyes snapped open just in time for him to see the back of his mother walking down the hallway to the front door. The frightened boy breathed in and out, looking about the brightly lit room. It's morning, at last.

But the fear of the dream still gripped him. The feeling of the man's arms around his body made Ozuma feel gritty with a need to shower and quickly. But first he had to calm himself before he could function properly for such a task.

_It was only a dream Ozuma, nothing is going to get you... Mom said so_. He reminded his horrified state of mind with the rational, thank God it's daylight, train of thought.

"Ozumaaa!" His mother called. "Someone's at the door for you!"

Shaking his head a second, Ozuma began to stand. One foot then the other, simple. But when his other foot moved to stand there was resistance and something tugged on it a little too tightly for his liking. With a frightened yell he fought back the offender. A blanket that was wrapped tightly around his ankle, almost like the grip of a human's hand. He didn't care as he tore the thing from his ankle, catching a little skin between his fingernail in the process.

"Whoa, whoa... what are you doing?" His mother touched his backside, causing her son to leap a mile away. "Ozuma?"

"I'm sorry... I thought that..." He ran a hand through his two-toned hair. "Never mind... you said someone was here for me?"

"Tada!" Zeo popped out from behind Tsugani's back. "I came by to see if I could help you, and my mom wanted me to give you all this basket of muffins and things. Welcome to the town, that sorta thing."

"Isn't that sweet." She took the offered basket from the Japanese child. "You boys go on and play," She waved a hand looking at her son. "Your father and I can handle things here."

Ozuma looked skeptical. With the way he felt all he wanted was to be held a little and comforted. But if his mother insisted he go and with Zeo, he couldn't say no. "O-..kay, let me get dressed first." He said to Zeo.

"I'll wait," he answered. "We're gonna have a great day, I hope you brought your swim trunks..."

Zeo's loud tone followed Ozuma into the kitchen, and for some of the trip up the stairs. The Indian male was beginning to feel a bit better as reality began to sink in and console him on its own. He didn't realize just how glad he was to get out of the house, actually. Yanking the shirt over his head Ozuma scanned the room for his clothes, glad to see that someone had taken the time to complete his room a little bit more yesterday.

The box where he had his clothes was empty, same as his suit cases it looked like, so his clothes must be in the closet. Tugging the sliding door across, some of the dim light from the window shown in giving him a good view of the shirt and jeans he wanted to wear. Tossing yesterdays shirt in the corner he pulled a new one down from the hanger then slid it over his head.

Dropping his shorts to the floor then a little jump, he took the pair of jeans that sat folded up on the shelf above his shirts, down and slipped them on. _Now where... are my sneakers_? Looking through the closet he shoved a box over finding them. _There they are_. Reaching down his hand paused. Something was... _funny_ about the way the shirt he had taken off landed. ...It... was sitting up. Almost like it were sitting over someone's head rather than just dropping to a crumpled pile on the floor.

"Is someone..." He reached for it.

"Are you ready to go?" Zeo sounded behind him at the door.

"...Yeah," Ozuma drew back his hand. Reaching instead for his sneakers like he had planned. "Come on."

He and Zeo hurried out of the room.

The shirt began to slip down from where it sat, a patch of black hair showing underneath it. Ozuma rushed back into his bedroom closing the closet door; and the shirt dropped to the floor in a rumpled pile as if whatever were there had suddenly vanished.


	5. Haunting Visions or Real?

Zeo brought Ozuma outside to the front porch. Ozuma looked down at the items that are splayed out on one side of the porch floor. "Painting supplies?" The mixed boy questioned, glancing at his friend.

Zeo smiled proudly. "Yup. I brought them over so you can paint your mask," He knelt down onto the floor.

His fingers quickly flipped the caps from each tub of paint then he spread the brushes out beside them. There was already newspaper set underneath everything to catch the mess from stray splatters.

Turning on a grin, Zeo asks "Do you still have it?"

"Ha, I wish you would have told me about this before we came out here." Ozuma turned on his heels to open the screen door. "I'll be right back." Stepping inside the house he walked down the hall, pausing a moment to prevent banging into his father who was coming out of a room.

"Weirdest thing." He was speaking to himself. "The lightbulbs are in the house but, they're all broken." His fingers turned the bulb back and forth. "Oh, hey son. Sorry I didn't see you there."

"That's okay... but you said the bulbs were broken?" He inquired. "Do you think they might have burst from strain or something?" He wasn't quite sure why he cared so much but he had to know. Because... his dream... the couple...

"I don't know, the wattage seems right." Himani looked down at his son, shrugging. "Maybe it was a power surge- but don't worry about it too much, we bought new ones earlier."

Ozuma nodded then continued his trail upstairs. The hall- as usual- was dark; his parents door is closed and so was the spare, the only light given to the hall was provided by his bedroom. He hurried along the dim hall to his room. Releasing a breath once safely inside, Ozuma skimmed the place with his eyes spotting the mask, he strolled over to it scooping it up. He smiled down at the gift his friend gave to him; he didn't think he could survive touching Zeo again if they reached for the same brush or something.

"Living here is gonna be great." He announced to the empty room.

Walking out, Ozuma took it upon himself to open the door of his parents' room to let a little more light in the hall, incase he had to come back in for something- you can never be too careful, right? Just a crack of the door and he was on his way.

As he broke for the stairs he stopped, light seemed to reach a lot farther than what he had the door cracked to, and he was sure it wasn't moving when he let go of the knob. _Just go downstairs Ozuma... It's probably nothing... or mom._

"Himani, did you see the box with the kitchenware?" He heard his mother downstairs.

"It might be in the kitchen." His father answered also downstairs.

Ozuma's spine tingled, he didn't need a genius to tell him to run for all his legs were worth and without a second thought he dashed down the stairs into the kitchen, through the living room and out the house. Perplexed looks were given by his parents but they just figured he was in a hurry to go back out with his friend.

Ozuma stopped abruptly in his race out the house, panting to catch his breath.

Zeo looked at him like he had lost his mind a moment. "It wasn't a hurry, you could have walked." He teased.

Ozuma shook his head then sat down. He still felt a little rattled.

"...Ozuma?" Zeo bent over to look at the boys lowered face. "Are you all right? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"No... No, everything is fine." He smiled into a false laugh. "I was just playing a game, haha. I must have gotten a little too into it."

"Oh really, what kind of game?"

"Monster upstairs," He laughed again. "it chases you down when you take too long." He shrugged feeling like a total lunatic.

"That sounds fun!" Zeo chimed. "Maybe we could play together sometime, maybe when Max and Tyson come over."

"When's that?" He grabbed a brush hoping to change the subject from his recent actions.

"I don't know, but knowing Tyson he'll come around lunch time." Watching his friends actions, Zeo looked at the blank mask then stated. "We painted ours in our favorite colors, because just one would be kinda boring."

Looking over the colors before him, Ozuma dipped the brush into the tub with Orange paint.

"Orange is a good color." Says Zeo, with a trained eye on his friend.

"Yeah... and maybe some red." He began to paint the mask completely orange for start, then switching brushes he dipped it into the red paint. _Hmm? Maybe some triangles..._ He blew at the orange paint in hopes to dry it up a little before applying the red to the mask. His old school made masks in art class once and his didn't turn out so well. The under coat didn't dry before he was painting on a design and the end result was a molded hole on the cheek of his mask.

The two were quiet as Ozuma worked and Zeo watched. The blue haired boy looked over at his friend, his face twisted into a bit of concern. "Before, in the living room"

"Yeah?"

"You looked like you were having a nightmare... do you wanna tell me about it? I promise I won't laugh." He threw in for good measure.

Ozuma had actually forgotten about the nightmare itself, but the feeling from it remained in his bones and he shook a bit from it. "It was stupid and I kinda don't remember too much about it."

"Oh... I just wanna make sure you're all right." Zeo pats his friends shoulder. "You just seem... I don't know, kinda jumpy."

"No no, I'm fine. Really." He blew on the red triangles, giving them a quick fanning with his hand. Something was on his mind though, but nah forget it. He didn't want Zeo thinking that he was a _nut_.

Looking the mask over, he smirked and grabbed a brush dipping it into the gray paint.

"Gray?" Zeo questioned.

"Yeah... It'll look alright, just watch." He placed the brush at the top of the mask, then gave it a little twirl, moving it away he beamed at the gray dot on the forehead of it. "See. Pretty cool, huh?"

Zeo laughed, rubbing his friend's back. "Don't worry I'll make you a new one."

Ozuma laughed at the statement. Picking up the mask, he didn't mind the paint on his fingers, he held it up to his face. "Be careful Zeo, I've got the sacred lands on my side. I can call up the wind and blow you away."

Laughing, Zeo stands up. "Just try it!" He hurried out of the porch and down the stairs. "You'll never catch me!"

"Yes I will!" He slipped the band over his head, so that he didn't have to hold onto it. Dashing from the porch as well, he chased after his Japanese friend.

The two laughed and chased each other in an unannounced game of silent tag. Zeo darted this way and that through the mini forest, his goal seemed to be off in the distance toward the lake.

"You better run faster, Zeo!" Ozuma taunted. "I'm right behind you."

"Haha! Yeah right, you run like a little old man with a walking stick." Seconds after he'd spoken his face was coming down to the ground. "Oof!" With a grunt he began to laugh hysterically. He had no idea Ozuma was close to him, he never once glanced over his shoulder as to where the boy was.

"Do you surrender?" Asked the shorter male. Pulling Zeo's arm gently behind his back. "Or do I have to tickle you for it?"

"Ooh baby..." He continued to laugh. His words barely coming out. "I think you'd better tickle me, because I'll never give in to you."

"Big mistake," reangling himself to flip Zeo over onto his back, Ozuma then began to wiggle his fingers under Zeo's neck receiving shrieks and the male trying to shrink away.

He laughed harder and harder, pushing at the offending hands. "S-..stop! Ozuma!" He laughed on, feeling his friend's fingers switching locations to under his arms. "Ha! I've never been ticklish there." Having calmed from the assault, it was the blue haired male's turn and he went in after Ozuma's sides.

Ozuma jumped from Zeo's loose grasp and ran away from him. "Oh no you don't! If you want revenge you'll have to catch me first."

"Easy!" The blue haired boy got to his feet and began the chase as the hunter.

Ozuma weaved in and out of the way of the trees, he had to run faster or Zeo would surely catch up with him, especially because he knew the woods a lot better than Ozuma. His breaths were coming out steadily as he ran along.

_He'll never catch me now... Whoa_! He froze waving his arm to keep from falling over.

"Got ya!" Zeo knocked into him, and with a splash they both fell into the lake.

Ozuma popped his head out of the water first, spitting out any traces of water that went into his mouth. With a low cough he looked around the flat water for his friend. "Zeo?"

Zeo popped up from the water, giving his head a shake to free the water from his bangs. "Ozuma, why didn't you tell me that we were so close to the lake?" He chuckled again. "So much for bathing suits, huh?" He swam over to his penpal. "Should we take our clothes off?"

Ozuma appeared to jump out of his skin at that question. It was so... _loaded_. "Uuuhh... what for?"

"So they can dry." Zeo was already moving toward the ground. Pulling his self from the water he sat with his feet still in the water as he unbuttoned his red shirt.

Ozuma watched with intense interest of Zeo just stripping right before him, without a care in the world. He was almost in awe at the sight of his friend's adorable boyish physique, where as he was a bit well sculpted even for his age. It wasn't uncommon for people of his race, and the naitive boy wore it well.

Zeo stood up then walked over to a tree with a low branch and he hung his shirt over it to dry. When he reached for the zipper of his pants, Ozuma's cheeks began to flare up as well as something else.

"Come on, Oz'. Take your clothes off!" He waved the gaping male over.

Ozuma remained where he was, praying for a way out of this. How _clothes off_ did Zeo mean? He wasn't exactly comfortable with just... getting naked in front of someone- especially someone he had a secret crush on. It would kill his central nervous system.

"No, I'm fine here."

Zeo had a knowing look on his face and he shook his head. "I don't think your mom would want you coming home in wet clothes, there's a nice breeze today so everything'll dry quickly... I won't look."

_Great, so now I'm a scaredy cat... How do I get myself into these things_? Swimming to the grass, he pulled his self out hearing Zeo's laughter ahead of him.

"Atta boy, open the snake pit."

Ozuma's blush deepened on that and he mumbled as he undid his shirt. "You're dead meat Zagart," he mock threatened. "...Remember, no peeking."

"I won't look." He walked back to the water, stark naked and climbed in.

Ozuma unconsciously slipped his white t-shirt over his head and hung it next to Zeo's on the branch. Glancing over his shoulder to assure that Zeo wasn't looking, he slipped off his jeans then hung them over the branch too.

Zeo didn't want to look at his friend, he was obviously uncomfortable about being naked period but, he couldn't help it. Moving over to the grass he rest his arms out of the water, laying his chin against them.

A tiny smile graces his face. _Ozuma's got a nice back_. He thought to himself.

With a sigh, Ozuma looked down at his soaked blue boxers. _Hhmm... No, the jeans is as far as I go_. Turning around, he staggered to a stop. "Zeo, you looked."

"Hahaha, I couldn't help it." He turned away swimming to the middle of the lake. "You've got a nice body, buddy."

Well, if he had nothing to be embarrassed about than why be embarrassed. Walking over to the water with a bit more confidence then he would have a moment ago, he stepped into the water swimming toward Zeo.

"Are you uncomfortable with being naked?" He asked right out.

"Who wouldn't be?"

The blue haired teen shrugged. "We've never had a problem with it. Tyson was the first one to skinny dip and we just kinda went with it."

Ozuma made a sound of acknowledgement.

The two of them swam around in the warm water, just relaxing in the tranquility of it all. Ozuma couldn't help stealing glances at Zeo's naked body, it was distracting him. And part of him was screaming for him to be just as comfortable and take off his boxers while another part told him to keep his modesty and not just go with the crowd. Not to mention it would keep Zeo from seeing the swell.

_So I'll let my venturing side win today_. Just as his thumbs hooked the sides of his boxers, Zeo spoke out of nowhere.

"Did you know a lot of people back home?"

"Not really... I was kind of an outsider because... you know." He moved his hands from his sides. "You're the only person who seemed to understand and not laugh. Guess that's why we're such good friends."

"Yeah, you're the only person I've ever told a lot of things about too." He swam over to him. "You just make me feel comfortable."

"Me too."

It grew quiet between them again. Their minds seemed to be briefing them about how deep their friendship is. Zeo swam in a little closer, slipping his arms around his shoulders and before Ozuma could react Zeo pressed his lips to his. A startled moan came from the Indian male's lips and Zeo parted his own bringing them around his friends.

_My first kiss_! Ozuma beamed. _This is so_...

He raised his hands to come up at Zeo's sides holding him close. His friends sex brushed past his own causing a tingle to run through him from the contact even through the boxers. And Zeo is a good kisser, his tongue working playfully by never going into his mouth, but just falling short of his teeth licking his upper lip. Ozuma pressed closer into the kiss just as Zeo moved away.

A nuzzle of foreheads from his blue haired friend, and he replied. "Sorry about that," he backed away a little bit, though he kept close to him. A hand brushed through Ozuma's matted bangs. "I was just curious."

Ozuma smiled hazily, it was as if he had been placed on a cloud and were floating into a place that could only be paradise.

Zeo cocked his head, glad that Ozuma didn't mind but to break the tension he splashed the boy in the face with some water. "Don't head towards the light, we haven't even played yet." He teased.

Ozuma narrowed his eyes at his friend. "Remember what I said before about dead meat?" He swam after his friend who took off across the lake. Then he froze. Dead in his tracks... His breathing began to pick up drastically as he gazed out into the forest. There right out in the open was... The couple!

The man was rocking on his feet as though a breeze snagged his lithe body blowing it in gentle circles, his mouth hung slack open and his eyes were still bleeding like in his dream. Or was he dreaming now? He didn't want to know, but a snap of the branches in the distance and no sight of the woman anymore Ozuma freaked out.

"Zeo, we have to go!" Ozuma shouted louder than he intended to.

"Go... why?" He turned looking at his friend.

"Hurry up! We have to go!" He began to swim back to the other side of the lake.

Zeo looked puzzled, glancing back to where Ozuma was looking. He saw nothing that would get him so worked up, but he followed.

Ozuma didn't waste anytime putting on his clothes, he just snatched them up into a firm grip waiting as long as he could for Zeo to come from the water, before he took off running.

"Ozuma wait!" Zeo called after him. He grabbed his boxers slipping them on, then his sneakers and he started after his best friend. Glancing over his shoulder every now and then, still seeing nothing out of the ordinary. So why was Ozuma so upset? Was it the kiss? Couldn't be, he seemed fine with that before.

"Ozumaaa!" He ran faster. "Wait up!"

...

The poor boy didn't stop running until he had made it home. Once there, he dashed onto the porch breathing hard. He hoped Zeo was behind him, he would never forgive himself if something happened to him because he was too cowardice to wait for him.

"Ozuma? What were you running for?" He asked when he finally made it to his friend's house. Zeo had obviously stopped to get dressed somewhere along the way because he was now fully clothed and still sopping wet.

"I'm sorry..." He was still panting. "I just... saw something..."

"Where in the woods?" Asked Zeo looking behind himself. "I didn't see anything."

"They were there the couple... I saw them, from the road-... they were there!" He shouted the last part.

Zeo held up his hand. Ozuma was making no sense, couples, roads... what did any of it mean? "Do you wanna talk about it? I'll listen..."

Ozuma looked at the car port... the car was gone. Which meant his parents had obviously gone out and probably for food, Ozuma couldn't be alone right now. "Yeah, please stay with me."

"I will..." He walked up the porch stairs. "Come on inside."

He put his hands on the shaken male's shoulders. Ozuma needed a good relaxer-hug to calm him down, and lucky for him Zeo was good at relaxing ones nerves.


	6. Giggling

Ozuma slipped a dry dark green tee shirt over his head pressing down the wrinkles that tumbled down his torso and slightly over his black jeans. He and Zeo had to change out of their wet clothes so they wouldn't ruin the floor with puddles of water. Ozuma offered his friend a pair of blue jean shorts, which he took and found that they fit him fine, along with a light blue shirt that seemed a bit cut off-ish on the taller male. But he looks gorgeous, Ozuma thought.

After changing, he sat on his bed which now, thanks to his parents, has the frame underneath it. He would have to remind his self to thank them for doing the work for him. Ozuma and Zeo lay flat on their backs, legs spread straight out, and the blue haired boy wrapped his arms around him, resting his cheek to Ozuma's shoulder.

"There. Is this better?" Asked Zeo. "You tell me anything that's wrong, I won't judge you."

"Zeo," he began, feeling the fear inside of him moving away with each wave of heat blowing against his chest from Zeo's breaths. Maybe criminals would be more inclined to rat on themselves if the cops would cuddle them with nice tones, because at this moment he would have given Zeo the safe combination if he'd asked for it. "When my family was coming here from Kita, we saw this couple on the road." He was direct and upfront about the whole thing.

"A couple?"

"Yeah... this _weird_ looking couple-," repeats the Indian child. "A man and woman..."

This felt too complicated, he didn't exactly know where to begin or end- or even what he was getting at! That this weird couple on the road was haunting him, that they some how saw him and his family staring and they're now stalking them because they didn't help them? So where was the sign that said their car had broken down? Where was the car?! They looked as though they had just come from the woods, fresh out of a fight with nature and now they were looking for revenge on the common-man because they were given no mercy.

Zeo watched the boy speak in his thoughts. It concerned him a bit. He wasn't used to being around friends who think as hard as Ozuma is doing. He had never been with him in person. And as far as personality... It would seem that a paper friendship to one in-the-flesh were two completely different things.

"...Ozuma, you were saying something about a couple?"

The mixed child blinked back into reality glancing at his friend. "Oh... well, it was weird because they were dirty and wet but it hadn't rained at all."

"Uh huh."

"And then there was the sign they had-..."

"What like..? They needed a jump start or something?" wondered Zeo.

"No. It was weird because it said..."

God, he felt foolish saying these things out loud. But he had to get it off his chest. If he was going to lead a normal life here in Tokyo, he had to snap out of these childhood fears of darkness and ghost; and his mother always said the best way to get rid of fear is to either confront it or have a non-believer point out that there's nothing there. If you can't see it, it isn't real.

Clearing his throat he began to speak again. "Well, the sign said 'Run from dawn',"

Zeo scrunched his eyes. "Run from dawn? What does that mean?"

Ozuma shrugged. "I couldn't figure it out either, but then when my family stopped at a hotel for the night, I kept hearing this weird banging against the window." He paused a second to take a breath. "I thought it was the storm, maybe a branch was hitting the window... Except we weren't near any trees. Then I called you."

Zeo nods, "Yeah there was bad reception, right."

"Yes, when the phone died I went over to the window and pulled over the curtain." He swallowed hard, his nerves began to rise again.

Ozuma could feel the hair on his body standing up in fear. Someone or something was listening to them... he felt it. And even though he didn't want to, he continued talking giving whatever angry voyuer was eavesdropping more ammunition to come after him because he knows too much.

"The sign that couple had was stuck to the window."

Zeo's eyes went wide. "You're kidding? Do you think they followed you and stuck it there? To mess with you maybe?"

"That's what I had thought too, but we were so many floors up and there was no fire escape." He shook his head in a frantic little motion. "It didn't make any sense."

"Hmm..." Zeo thought a moment. "Maybe they... were throwing it, what floor were you on?"

"I don't know, I can't remember. But the elevator ride took a while."

"And your parents didn't notice it?"

"They weren't there, they had gone to get dinner a while ago."

Ohhh, now it was starting to make sense. Thought the Japanese boy. Ozuma was alone during a storm, it was probably kinda dark and spooky in the room and he just imagined the whole thing. It didn't seem logical to have something stuck to a window when you are so high up, and it didn't make sense that a couple stranded on the road would be after people because they made eye contact and wouldn't stop.

"It's ok, Oz'... You were probably just imagining things." He shrugs. "It happens to a lot of people when they're alone during a storm. Fear takes over and plays tricks on you."

"But that's not the only thing!" Ozuma protest, sitting up to look down at his still laying friend. He quickly removed Zeo's fallen hand from his groin area, scooting over a bit. "Later on after you left," he went on. "and it was dark out, my parents had to go to the store and get light bulbs. When I came back inside I heard a voice,"

"What kind of voice?"

"I'm not sure, it could have been a man or a woman it was raspy... kinda distant."

"And you think it was that couple?" Zeo threw out.

Ozuma was boggled. Why wasn't Zeo really paying him any mind. Didn't he understand that he was freaked out about the whole thing? Staring at his friend, he sighed. "I don't know... I don't know... I didn't think about that at the time and now that you mention it, it worries me even more."

"I'm sorry," Zeo sat up, hugging his arms around his friend. "Don't let me frighten you, okay? This... isn't real- this couple is all in your mind."

"My parents saw them too!"

"Maybe they did, but there's a chance that your mind put its own spin on them and they were just normal people being weird." Zeo touched his friends shoulder. "Sometimes when you watch a monster movie, the monster is in your house... that's what all people think when they're scared... But it isn't real."

_Forget it, I don't know why I even tried_. The Indian boy thought with bitter exhaustion. _Zeo doesn't understand and no one probably will... but in a way isn't this what I wanted to hear? Him telling me that it's not real- all in my head?_ Then something dawned on him. "My dream! I had a dream about them, we were back on the road and-..."

"Sssshh, Ozuma, you're getting worked up about this." Zeo said in a hushed tone. "And proving my point tha-..."

"Back there in the woods, I saw them again!" He pointed at the window.

The window! Hopping off the bed, he scurried over to the window and jerked the blinds up hard until they clapped against the top of the window frame. Hefting the window up, Ozuma looked with his eyes this way and that searching for the couple. Leaning forward a bit more he continued to scan for them, they had to be in range he was sure if anything he could get a clear view of all the lake. But he saw nothing.

"...But they were there." He felt defeated, humiliated and beyond embarrassed to look at Zeo now. He probably thought he was some kind of nut.

Zeo watched his friend with a frown. He didn't want to make him sad or cause him to believe that he didn't believe him, but the idea was way too far out to be real. This all sounded like stuff that happened in movies and things, not real life.

"Ozuma..." He walked over to the shaken boy, wrapping him up in a hug. Ozuma hugged back. "All of this is really just in your head, you've gotta stop letting fear run your life."

Ozuma sighed in what sounded like agitation. "I know."

Great, this was a mood spoiler. Maybe he could get Ozuma to cheer up with a game or something. Maybe some tv? "How 'bout we-..."

Ozuma cut him off. "Zeo... why did you really kiss me at the lake?" He looked his friend in the eyes. "Was it because you're one of those-... _fast_ people, or because you wanted to humiliate me more because somewhere Tyson and Max were watching?"

"Ozuma I..."

"Well, come on! Tell me!" He was mad now, and he could feel his anger rising with every word. He hated being treated like a sideshow freak when it came to his fears and now Zeo planned to mess with his heart and his head. He's not gonna allow something like that.

"No... I only said that I was curios because I didn't think you'd believe me when I said that I have feelings for you."

The Indian child cocked his head a brow raising. "Really? And... you're not just messing with me?"

Zeo shook his head, tears appearing at the corner of his eyes. He was hurt, Ozuma could tell. "No... I thought that... maybe..." His last words trailed off in a whisper as he seemed ready to cry from angry-offense.

Ozuma blinked at him. He was confused by his feelings, although, he could relate because he shared feelings for his penpal as well. But hearing it from someone else he guessed it just didn't seem true.

"Zeo... I'm sorry... I just snapped at you because you weren't sympathetic to me before." Pulling his teary friend to him, he smiled at him reassuringly. "Only thing is, you're moving too fast for me... you wanna start these things slowly- at least with clothes on."

Zeo laughed at that; a blush showing on his face.

"Slowly, with a kiss of passion... not heat." He leaned forward ready to press his lips to his friend's when he heard his mother's voice. Well, it sounded kind of odd but it was a woman so who else could it be. Backing away, Ozuma walked to his door and looked down the hall. "...Mom?!" He listened closely to the silence. Nothing.

_That's funny, I thought I had heard someone_. Thought the mixed male.

"I heard it too." Zeo joined Ozuma at the door speaking as though his friends thoughts had been said out loud. The two boys listened to the silence of the house. "Mrs. Balaji!" He called downstairs. Looking back at Ozuma he shrugs a hand.

"It must have been someone else."

Zeo frowned. "Yeah but who? We're the only ones in the house."

_I hope so... Hey wait a sec'_... "If you and I heard someone and we both no that no one is there, doesn't that mean that I was telling the truth?"

"I don't know what to believe," Zeo admitted. "But I tell you this, I'm gonna..."

The two grunted. Zeo smacked directly into Ozuma pinning him against the door frame. Someone had pushed him.

"Zeo what are you...?" He paused what he was saying. Low laughter came from somewhere in the house, like someone had a secret and wanted to be chased to get it out of them- like a taunt.

Zeo listened for a second before taking off down the hall in the direction of the laughter. Ozuma watched curiously, he wasn't sure if he should follow Zeo or hide. No, he couldn't let something bad happen to Zeo, he had feelings for him friendly or otherwise and he wouldn't let his chance at true friendship and possibly love be severed by two insane people from the road.

"Zeo wait!" He followed after him, faster than he would have liked to run because the hall seemed to enclose him in darkness and he didn't want to be alone like that, he would freeze up almost instantly.

The two boys tromped down the stairs in a hurry, their pace slowed a moment so they could skid around a corner unharmed. The laughter had ceased to exist after they had come downstairs; Ozuma would have said so if he weren't so horrified at the thought of someone having come that far into his house. Where were his parents?

"I see you!" Zeo called out. He sped out the front door and into the yard tackling a hysterical Tyson.

"Tyson!" called Ozuma. He looked around for Max. The blond had to be somewhere around if Tyson were here. But he didn't see the boy. _He must be the one upstairs_. Boy when he got his hands on him, he would pulverize him for scaring him and shoving Zeo. Disappearing back into the house he heard his friends begin to speak before their voices were nothing but blank silence.

"Tyson, you should be ashamed of yourself," Zeo lectured, twisting his friends arm behind his back. "You scared Ozuma half to death... he's already freaked out because he thinks his house is haunted." He blurts out.

Tyson laughed, wiggling to get free. "Ozuma thinks his house is haunted? Too rich," he grunts. "Come on Z', let me up!"

"No. Not until you and Max apologize to Ozuma and me."

"Max? Max isn't here, he's with his grandmother," He wiggled around in the grip again. "She came over for a surprise visit."

"Oh... well then why'd you shove me?"

"I didn't shove you, I just got here." He laughed again, making a teasing face to his friend from over his shoulder. "I planned to come over here and do a cage rattling, but I see the two of you are already shaken up."

"You just got here?" Repeats Zeo, the wheels in his head churned. "So you weren't upstairs just a minute ago? And tell me the truth Ty'."

"No I swear, now will you let me up? My mom'll kill me if I come home dirty one more time."

Zeo loosened his hold from his friend and stood up. _If Tyson wasn't upstairs then who_? Looking at the house he then glanced in each other direction. "Where's Ozuma?"

Upstairs the boy walked the halls with an air of confidence. He knew Max was somewhere up there and he was just waiting to be caught and boy would the punishment be painful.

_'Heeheeheheeheheeheheehehe...'_

Ozuma spun around. The laugh came from his parents' room. The same laugh- a womans'. A woman! Ozuma suddenly lost his nerve. He knew Max couldn't imitate a female sound that well, and if he could that was maybe something he needed to work out in therapy. His breathing picked up, his senses jumping around the perimeter to survey any odd sights or sounds that would occur next.

"Ma.." He tried but his voice whispered the start and died out completely.

_I'm alone_, thought the frightened male. _I'm alone in the dark with the couple... they're in my house_! The only way down the stairs was past his parents room where the laughter had sounded. He wasn't brave enough in the dark hall... He couldn't do it. He is stuck. Ozuma's whole nervous system shut down as he trembled to the floor. Teeth chattering, he weighed the option of calling for Zeo and having the couple emerge from the bedroom and get him.

Ozuma remembered that he had a flash light in his bedroom, it was just a short crawl away behind him, if he could just get to it...

No sooner had Ozuma began to scoot back did he come into contact with something soft. Not completely soft either there was something behind the softness- bone! He couldn't react fast enough to stand and the hands began to push him- shove him toward the end of the hall right to the stairway! Ozuma was going to be shoved down the stairs and there was nothing he could do about it.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" He yelled.

He saw his fate coming near, he had to save himself. Kicking a leg out to the next door he passed, he jerked to a stop, his leg hooked inside. Whoever was pushing him had gone by with a slight breeze against his cheek. Ozuma didn't waste anytime backing into the room and closing the door. Locking it.

It was dark, but he was safe. He felt the floor beneath his hands and knew that he was in the bathroom. "Zeoooo!" He called at the top of his lungs. "Help me!" He felt his tears. "Please..." He sniffled.

Faint at first there was a sound. Like crying, not real crying but mock crying. Hiccupped, dragged out crying. It was coming from his left, where the toilet sat. Heart pounding in his ears like thunder, Ozuma inched his hand up toward the light switch above his head.

_If I can't see it... it's not there. In the dark... my mind plays tricks on me, but when the lights are on_... His hand bumped the knob, his fingers numbly unlocked it.

Just as his hand reached the little flick the door opened. "Ozuma?" Zeo called.

The Balaji child could not have run faster as he fled the bathroom. The light had cut on just as Zeo opened the door, the door that blocked the toilet when opened but Ozuma saw... he saw... A woman...


	7. Maybe He Wasn't Lying

Ozuma pumped his legs as fast as they could run. He didn't know where he was going since he's only been in the woods twice since his family came to Tokyo but he knew wherever the forest took him was better than being in that house.

"Ozumaa!" Zeo called behind him.

"Ozuma!" Called Tyson. "Hey, dude, slow down!"

Ozuma didn't so much as hop over something in his way as he ripped through the bushes and jetted past the trees. His breathing was sharp and his lungs stung from over exertion. But he could not stop.

"Ozuma, man, slow down!" Tyson continued to call to him. "Wait!"

"You're going towards the road, Ozuma slow down!" Warned Zeo.

Breathing harder and harder as he ran and... "Ugh!" He grunts, falling to the ground as his foot comes into contact with a hidden pot hole in the dirt. He scrambled to his feet and tried fleeing again but his arm was seized in a tight grip.

"Ozuma calm down," It was Zeo. "What are you doing?"

"Yeah," pants Tyson, catching up to them. "Who set your butt on fire?"

"Shut up, Tyson," Zeo turned a glare on the Japanese boy. "Ozuma...?"

"I saw someone... in my house. A woman." He answered, out of breath and still shaken. Visibly shaken his body trembled mercilessly in Zeo's grip.

"Ozuma," The blue hair boy hugged his friend tight to him. "I was just in your bathroom, right when you were... I didn't see anyone."

The Balaji child clung to Zeo, pressing his face into his shirt. This was a fine attitude for someone his age. Fighting back tears and sniffles. "How could you not see it? She was right there." Ozuma asked, his voice muffled within the shirt he had given Zeo.

"It's ok, you and me can go back to your house and search the place." Zeo used a soothing tone as he petted his friend's two-toned hair. "Nothing's gonna get you. I promise."

This is exactly what his fears did. It embarrassed him in front of his friends. And now it's doing it again infront of his new friends. God help him when school starts.

Tyson stood in the background, scratching his hair through his hat. He was uncomfortable with these lovey-dovey situations. And he's never known a guy to be so open with his emotions. It's sort of awkward. "Um... yeah... I can even help- nothing scares the Ty-myster." He shot his thumb at himself. "So rest assured bud'."

"Ozuma?" His father said.

The three kids turned around to see the Balaji car rolling across the bridge towards them. Ozuma left Zeo's embrace rushing across the distance to the safety of his parents.

"Huh..." Tyson walked up beside Zeo. "I didn't know Ozuma was such a chicken."

Zeo looked at his friend balled his fist and gave him a punch on the shoulder.

"What?" Tyson shrugs.

...

"Can you describe the woman for us, son?" An officer asked. He dropped down in a crouch to be eye level with Ozuma. The young boy could see the man still had some youthful blemishes on his face mostly on his cheek leading down to his thinning mustache. The cop's dark eyes focused hard on Ozuma's green sea.

His father had called the police right away when they heard that their son had seen someone in their home. The cops were there within minutes and had searched the place top to bottom seeing no one nor was anything missing. At least not that they knew of because most of their items were still taped up in boxes.

Ozuma blinked his eyes closed. He wished this was over. He wanted to be normal, just like he had always been. Not some sideshow freak that sees people that aren't there. "She was," he swallowed hard.

Not only was he gonna be a freak but he was going to be embarrassed by teasing adults thinking he'd continue to cry wolf. Not only that but Tyson and Zeo were still in the house waiting for the cops to leave. He wanted to shrink into the couch and hide.

"Son?" The cop said again.

Why do cops call boys that, never do you hear 'daughter' toward a little girl. It must be a man thing. "Um... she looked about," he shrugged. "5' 7'' and... she has long black hair- like right to where her elbows begins and..." A brief flash of the woman danced into his mind and he shook her free. "Her skin was discolored in a grayish hue. I don't know, she looked dirty."

"Dirty?" Repeats the cop as though he could figure the boy was lying.

"Yes." Ozuma felt his mother's grip on his shoulders tighten in a comforting way. "Like she had either been swimming or something, in a dirty lake... There's one outside our home not far."

The cop smirked. "And what was she wearing?"

Himani growled seeing the cops reaction. "Listen, if you're here to mock my son, kindly leave."

The cop held up his hand. "I'm not here to start any trouble, I'm just doing a simple procedure."

"Procedure to what? Harass people that you don't believe? If my son says he saw something than he saw something. Now please leave."

The cop twisted his mouth up. "Very well," He stood. "Let us know if you, _see_ anything else, okay?" He tucked his notepad into his shirt pocket. "Let's go boys! We're outta here!" He signaled to the other two cops that were still searching through the house.

One of the officers had wandered into Ozuma's bedroom. He was looking under something at the time but saw nothing. Standing on his knees he turned his attention to the closet; the door was slightly cracked and in front of it lay a pile of damp clothes. Oddly, next to the clothes, facing the closet was a soggy foot print: gray, long and a little wide. Eh, could just be the kids foot.

Standing, the cop walked over to the closet door ready to open it. But something cold blew against his hand just as he reached for the door knob. _A draft in a closet? What the hell?_ Something was wrong, something in the air, he could feel it. And just as his hands came around the knob...

"Let's go boys!" The head cop shouted from downstairs.

"Coming," The man let his hand drag from the knob pulling the door slightly open because of it.

Something dark, a black and gray bundle of darkness popped an eye open, and a smile came across it's face. It reached up and slammed the closet door shut.

The cop jumped, startled by the sudden sound. Glancing back into the room, he noticed that the closet door was now closed and he sped off down the stairs. He wasn't about to stick around in an unsafe area.

The Balaji family watched the cowardly man exit the house with enough speed to peel wall paper. The head cop gave him a cross look waiting then for the other cop, who walked in big and husky as though he let his weight be power rather than shame. He looked as though nothing in the world could scare him and nothing in life ever would.

"I didn't see a thing boss." He answered with a rich husky voice.

The head officer nods to him, then looked back at the family sitting on the couch. "You keep in touch if you have anymore break in's." And with that he headed out.

"Bastards." His father spat the moment the front door closed.

"Ozuma," his mother held his cheeks turning his face to hers. "Did you really see someone honey?"

Ozuma looked into his mother's eyes, he couldn't lie to her. But if no one else can see these people than isn't saying they're there lying anyway? "Mom, I saw someone... it was the woman,"

"You've said that,"

"No, the lady on the street. The one we saw when we came here... the one with the man and the sign."

"Ssshhh, It's okay... you don't have to be afraid anymore. We're all here and we're safe."

Himani blinked at what his son had said. "The couple?" It was odd that his son would even be thinking about them, that was in another city- wasn't it?

"Yes!" Ozuma replied. "I keep seeing them, they're..." He shook his head. "Never mind, I'm probably just imagining things that's all."

"Exactly, you're a little tired from all the unpacking." His mother soothed. "You just go on upstairs and get some rest," Tsugani looked at Tyson and Zeo. "Your friends will be back a bit later."

Taking the hint, Zeo stood. "Yeah, I should be getting home anyway. I should have eaten lunch by now."

Tyson smiled following after Zeo. "Yeah, see you later Ozuma,"

"Hope you feel better." Zeo said finally and walked out of the house.

"How 'bout you eat your lunch, then take a nice hot bath and get some rest." His mother suggests.

"I don't want a bath." Ozuma informed, standing.

He picked up his lunch of McDonald's and walked into the kitchen to eat it at the table. What a rotten day this had turned into. His first kiss, ruined because his mind is haunting him with images of some freaky couple on the road, then his friends think he's nuts! And now his own parents are beginning to not believe him because they think its exhaustion.

_Great_.

Miserably, he bit into a french frie and chewed it mechanically. His body was so numb with sadness he could barely taste it. His parents busied themselves in the living room with something while he ate and a moment later the sweet sound of cartoon's filled the air.

His father appeared at the door, "Tv's hooked up if you wanna eat out here in the living room." He said.

Ozuma returned the only item he had removed from the bag back inside. "Okay." He walked in after his father and sat down on the couch, placing his things on the coffee table. It was his favorite show, Comic Party, so he relaxed easily.

Himani and Tsugani gave each other a glance then continued to put the house together, there were only a few things left that needed to be done and then maybe things would start to calm down a bit.

_Calm yourself Ozuma, you're gonna let yourself get worked up again and that's not a good thing. No one has to know about what's going on and than things really can be normal. At least for everyone else I can be sane._ He told his self in a commanding tone.

There was no way he would go on shouting "there's a ghost" when it wasn't true. Yes, this week is going to be a good one. He'll hang out with his friends and be normal. If anyone asks him how he's doing. Normal. And if he sees the couple again... he can just sleep outside of his parents' door, they can't hurt him there.

With that settled, Ozuma relaxed himself and spent the rest of the day watching television. Later on that night around seven or eight o'clock his father announced that the house was now the Balaji home. Ozuma and his mother, who've been watching a movie when she quit half way through unpacking gave him a cheap applause.

Himani took a bow and sat down on the couch beside them. Reaching for a handful of popcorn, he dropped it into his mouth munching quietly. "What's this?"

"Some murder movie." Ozuma replied. His eyes were glued to the set.

A woman was in the parking lot of her building and a figure in a black trench coat just ran when it was spotted by the woman it was stalking. How was no one else seeing this person. And when they did they ignored them and huddled around the star asking if she were all right. Ozuma had an insight that it was the woman's husbands ex-wife. How could it not be? She was an obvious suspect.

The Balaji's watched on but Ozuma never got to see the rest, he had fallen asleep half way toward the end. Himani nudged his wife and she smiled. Lifting his son up from the couch he walked the boy up the narrow stairs and lay him in bed, with the covers half way pulled up.

"Good night, son." He made sure that all of Ozuma's night lights were turned on. Then, just for good measure, he cracked the closet door to make sure there was nothing inside.

It was of course empty, at least as far as he could tell, the night lights didn't exactly reach every corner of the closet space. But he knew that it was safe. Leaving the bedroom he walked into the master bedroom into the darkness, right to the closet. Stripping his shirt off he undressed then put on his night clothes.

His wife remained downstairs watching the movie. The whole house seemed still as though it were watching with her.

The woman in the movie walked into her apartment with her husband, the two of them were talking deeply about something when out of nowhere he attacks her! Tsugani's eyes went wide with surprise. She never would have guessed it was him! She honestly thought after a while that it was the woman's best friend. Imagine the twist!

Fingers gently brushed through Tsugani's hair and she swatted them away. "Honey, can you get the salt, the popcorn gets dry towards the end."

There was a low thumping of foot steps exiting the living room.

"Thank you."

It was quiet again. Then a clank came from the kitchen, sounded a lot like plates or maybe forks being moved.

"Sweet heart, the salt is in the cupboard over the stove you know that. What are you doing in there?"

She saw a long shadow hit the wall in front of her projected from the light over the stove. The shadow seemed not like her husband's at all. For starters it was an inch or maybe foot or two shorter than Himani, and secondly her husband's hair isn't as long as the person in the kitchen's. So who...?

"Mani...? Honey is that you?" She asked without turning around. "Stop messing with me, you know that I scare easily." She warned.

The person in the kitchen was coming closer; the light from the stove coming out as far as the couch she sat on. "Himani this isn't funny now, stop it." Nervously, she held the bowl of popcorn tight between her hands. Whoever it was was in for it, whether it was bowl or knife, they would be beaten mercilessly.

Just as a creeping hand was about to rest on her shoulder, Tsugani turned around swinging frantically at whoever was behind her.

"Tsu'- ow! It's me!" Himani shielded himself with his forearm. "What are you doing?" He asked, looking down at the popcorn that tumbled weightlessly down his leg.

"There was... Honey were you in the kitchen?"

"The kitchen? No. I was getting changed." His eyes narrowed. "Why? Is there someone in the house?" He hurried into the kitchen. After checking around he returned to the living room. "This place is falling apart, one of the drawers sank in. The knives and things fell a drawer down." He walked over to his wife giving her shoulders a quick rub. "Is that what scared you?"

Tsugani was sure that she saw someone. "But..." She looked up. Her husband's hair was pulled into a ponytail and she sighed. "Yes, that's what I heard. Thank you, my big strong bear." She gave him a kiss.

Himani laughed at his bravery and sat on the couch. There was nothing in this house.

But in the kitchen the pantry door clicked shut.

...

Commentary: I checked the date when I first typed this... 2005 ahaha.


	8. Closet Monster

Ozuma smiled a natural smile for the first time since his family had moved. For the rest of that first week things had actually been pretty normal. Maybe his parents were right. The move must have effected his mood somehow, causing him to hallucinate things that weren't really there. And since he couldn't figure out what was scaring him, like Zeo said, anything scary in a monster movie is suddenly at your house. But not anymore. Ozuma feels calm and confident that his minor insanity fit was over.

Arms stretched over his head he yawned. He was sitting outside on the porch waiting for Zeo to come get him so the two of them could go go-karting with Tyson and Max. When his arms came down at his sides he raised his palm again catching sight of something orange on the wood beneath it.

_So much for not making a mess._ He brushed his hands together as though some of the orange may have gotten on his hand, even if it had long since dried during the week that he had made it. Speaking of which, _Where is my mask?_ He looked around the tiny porch for any sign of the thing. _I know I didn't take it inside, it was left right here._

Twisting and turning his self, he then pushed a hand down onto the wooden floor to help him stand. "Mom! Have you seen my mask?!" Ozuma called loudly incase his mother had moved somewhere else in the house. "I can't find it!" He turned his head at the call of a bird that sounded like distant laughing. Looking back at the front door his father emerged pushing it open.

"Hey son, give your old man a hug." He spread his arms.

"Where're you going?" The young teen took his father into an embrace.

Himani sighed, pulling away. "Well they need me back in Kita, they got a few things they want me to look over in person, but it won't take long. I'm going by plane."

Tsugani came outside, tugging her hair from her jacket. "Do you have the car keys, Mani?"

"I think so," He checked his pocket.

Ozuma watched his parents moving around him and out of the porch. "Mom, have you seen my mask?" He remembered.

"What mask?" She was already down the little wooden stairs heading toward the car.

He stepped out of her way. "The one Zeo and me made last week, I can't find it."

"I haven't seen it. Maybe it's in your room." His mother grabbed a bottle of old root beer off the front seat tossing it to the backseat, mumbling about cleaning the thing out before the month was over.

Ozuma walked up behind her, watching intently. "Are you driving Dad to the airport?" He was getting a little nervous now. Bravery with people was one thing but, bravery _alone_ was a whole other thing all together. "When do you think you'll be back?"

"In time for dinner," Tsugani answered. "So what do you want me to get you?"

"I'll just eat a can of soup," he then laughed when adding. "I don't think I can eat any more fast food,"

The car door closed on the passengers' side as his father got in. "By the way," His mother added, putting on a pair of dark sunglasses. "I want you to be here when I get back, so you're gonna have to hold off on the go-karts for today."

Ozuma frowned at that, the day wasn't even half way started, couldn't he just go for a little bit? But his mother said these things for a reason, he knew she wasn't some type of 'party pooper' for lack of a better phrase. So he might as well listen- besides the others might want to stay with him. They could go swimming! Or play in the woods, Beyblade- anything.

But when his parents left and a few minutes after that his friends came over, they didn't seem too thrilled about the idea.

"Why not?" Asked the unintentionally-grounded , he couldn't believe they had rejected his ideas. They were fun, and they would have done it any other time. What made today so different?

Tyson stuck a finger in his ear. "Because, I was kinda set on go-karting today. Can't you just come with us, your mom'll never know."

"Oh, she'll know and then I'll be grounded."

Max shrugged. "So you can just come with us another time, come on you guys." Max waved a hand for them to follow him. "We'll see you later, Ozuma."

Zeo stood where he was. Seeing the pleading look in his friend's green eyes, a stab of guilt washed over him. "I'm gonna stay here with Ozuma." He muttered looking down.

Tyson turned around, his jaw to the ground. "Zeo, a word." He snatched the boy around his shoulders and walked him away from the others. "Zeo, the guy sees ghost! He's not... you know, _normal_. I think we should just hang out with him over the phone or something, that's how you two talked before he moved here so-..."

Zeo didn't know whether he wanted to slug Tyson or agree with him. But he couldn't abandon Ozuma, not now. They had such a good time last week, and his penpal mentioned nothing of ghost during the rest of it. He was probably just still getting used to the big move but now everything was fine. No. He couldn't leave him behind like he had never known him. He really liked Ozuma in and out, even if sometimes he was weird. That just meant he had a side of him that needed getting used to. Not everyone can be everything you want them to be. Right?

"No, Tyson. I'm gonna stay with him." He explained. "Besides, he might get scared alone and... I'd feel terrible for just leaving him like this."

"Tch, suit yourself. I'll just hang with Maxi today." He released his grip around the boy's shoulder giving it a tight little pat. "Come on, Max, we can come by later."

"Bye Ozuma, maybe you can come with us next time." The blond mentioned, waving a hand.

"Bye."

The pair walked away, hand in hand, leaving Zeo standing next to Ozuma.

"Forget about them." Said the blue haired boy. "We can have tons of fun without them around anyway."

Ozuma shook his head. "Zeo... if you wanna go with your friends- you can go..."

"Ozuma, you're my friend too." Zeo took Ozuma's hand into his. "And if they don't like it, they can take a hike."

"Yeah but..." He trailed off.

"Forget about it." Zeo walked towards Ozuma's home. "You got any video games? We could play for a while."

"Sorry, I'm a reader- but I do have cards!" He shrugs. "If you don't mind card games?"

"Not at all, I used to play with my Dad before he became too busy to be bothered."

Ozuma blinked, his face flushed with guilt. Zeo used to tell him all about how much he respected and admired his father then one day nothing but insults and bitterness. To say the least the man ignored him completely now.

"I'm sorry." He stated lamely.

Zeo waved it off. "It's nothing, I'm used to it." He held the door open for his Indian friend, and followed a step behind him.

The two walked into the living room; Zeo took a seat on the couch while Ozuma located the deck of playing cards from the junk drawer in the kitchen.

"My family has a ton of these things laying around the house." Says the mixed child as he walks back into the living room. "We're not sure how we got them, but they're good for a rainy day."

Zeo reached out for the deck of cards; Ozuma sat down beside him and handed the deck over.

"I'm a good shuffler." The blue hair boy mentioned as he unsheathed the cards. His small hands made quick work of rearranging the cards, Zeo was a very good shuffler. "And here you go," He dealt them out, five for each of them, and placed the deck between them on the couch.

The cards slid over into a stream of cardboard. Zeo chuckled, scooping them back into a stack he then placed them on the coffee table beside them. "_There_, now they won't fall over."

Ozuma smiled, Zeo could be so charming with the quaint way he speaks. Shaking his head lightly to clear some air, he looked at his hand. "Hmm? What are we playing?"

"Go fish."

"Who starts?"

"Uuuhh," points his free hand. "You start, it's your house."

"Okay..." Studying his cards, he glanced up to see Zeo's poker face. "Have you got anyyy... threes?"

Zeo smiled, not even glancing at his already memorized cards. "Go fish." He stated.

Reaching beside them, Ozuma snagged a card from the deck. It was a Nine of Clubs. _Shoot_. His eyes narrowed at the offending card. Glancing back at his hand his eyes relaxed, and he slipped it into his deck next to another Nine he has, then he placed them beside the deck. "Ha!"

Zeo chuckled shaking his head. "You know, I never got the point of this game, I'm not even sure I know how to play it right."

Ozuma laughed as well. "I don't either."

The two boys rocked with laughter. _No wonder we're good friends. We have everything in common_. Thought Zeo.

"It's your turn."

Zeo thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. The Ace in the hole. "Do you have any twos?"

Ozuma turned his nose up at his friend. "..._Go fish_." He said smugly.

Zeo reached for a card from the deck.

A low knock came from the front door. The two froze.

"Who is that?" Zeo mouthed.

Ozuma shook his head, with an expression that read: "I don't know."

The door bell came after the knock as though the person at the door didn't think the knock were loud enough.

"I'll go see,"

"Do you think it might be your mom?"

Ozuma shook his head, standing. "No, she said she'd be back around dinner time." He vanished in the hallway.

Zeo remained seated, looking after where his friend had gone.

Ozuma walked quickly but his hands froze just before they reached the knob. _What if it's them- No, now is not the time to start thinking like that. It's probably just girl scouts or something_. He tugged the front door open, blinking in shock at who was standing there. "Rei?"

Rei blinked, confused at how this boy he's never met knew his name. "Yeah, do I know you?"

"Oh, no. I just heard about you, that's all." Explained the Indian child, his hand raised to show he meant no offense.

Rei narrowed his eyes. If Ozuma had 'heard about him' that could only mean he was friends with that upstart Tyson. "Forget it." He muttered.

"No wait. It's nothing bad, honest." He opened the screen door. "Did you need something?"

Ozuma looked over Rei's shoulder seeing Kai standing outside of the porch with a look on his face that read: Bored. But his eyes seemed to be casing the outside of the place. It worried Ozuma to see that kind of look, as if Kai were the kind of person to spot something he liked and come back for it when he thought the owners were away or sleeping.

"I wanted to know if I could use your phone?" Rei said, glancing over at Kai.

"My phone?" repeats Ozuma, confused. "Is yours broken?"

Rei smiled kindly. "No." Mischief then graced his features.

With that smile on his face Ozuma couldn't help but notice Rei was a looker, especially up close, he had sharp feline features and strange golden eyes, yes, much better looking then when his family first saw him at the lake.

"It's just that, if I go home then my mom will start asking me a bunch of questions, and she'll know that I'm lying."

Ozuma looked skeptical.

Sighing, Rei rocked on his heals. "It's not for anything bad, I just wanna stay the night at Kai's and my Mom isn't exactly cool about everything- if you know what I mean?" His eyes were hopeful that he didn't have to explain any further.

"Let's just go," Kai said out of nowhere. His voice sounded huskier than Ozuma would have imagined. It suited him. "If the kid doesn't wanna help us, someone else will."

Quickly back-pedaling, Ozuma opened the screen door wider. "No, no. You can use my phone, come on in."

Rei walked by him and waited in the hall. Kai remained where he was and looked as if he didn't plan on moving, even if a herd of wild animals came by to trample him. So out of courtesy, Ozuma left the front door open. The Indian child led the way down the hall into the living room.

Zeo was taken aback when he looked up to see Ozuma leading Rei Kon into the living room like it were no big deal. Zeo doesn't hate Rei, he didn't even dislike him. But the two haven't spoken since Tyson declared he and Kai, 'not acceptable friends.'

Rei smiled politely, then said. "Hi Zeo, it's been a while."

Cautious, Zeo raised a hand without waving it and replied. "Hey, Rei."

"The phone's over there." Ozuma pointed to the wall entering the kitchen where a black phone hung sideways.

"Thanks, I won't be long." Rei walked to the entry of the kitchen and picked up the receiver.

Zeo snagged Ozuma's arm, pulling him down roughly onto the couch. "What is _he_ doing here?" He asked in a hushed tone.

"He wanted to use the phone." They both glanced at the chinese boy. He hadn't began to speak yet, he must still be waiting through the rings. "I don't see why he can't, I don't mind." He looked back at Zeo. "And he seems nice."

"Yeah but..." He shook it off, there was no use arguing. Besides, it was actually kinda cool to be in the same place with someone you weren't supposed to, kind of like a rebel of sorts.

"Hi Mom, yeah I'm fine..." Rei started talking.

The two of them went back to their game, trying not to eavesdrop.

"You got any fives?" Ozuma asked.

"Yeah," Zeo handed him the five in his hand.

"Do I keep going?" Asked the mixed child.

"I think so, like pool- you go till you mess up."

Rei looked around listening to his mother talking to him about who knows what, he had tuned her out long before she could really get into anything. Looking up the stairs into the dimly lit hall, Rei saw a dark shadow standing at the top of the stairs. He thought it was kinda weird that the boys mother would watch him, so to be kind, he waved at her. But she backed away.

_Weird_. He thought and a chill ran down his spine. But when his mother finally had a break in her sentence, he spoke. "I was just wondering if I could sleep over at this new kids house? He invited me to."

Ozuma looked up at that, he didn't know he was going to be part of any _lying._

"He invited me, I swear." He listened quietly for a moment. "_Really_, look he's right here." Rei took the phone away from his face and mouthed. "Say something."

"Uhh, yeah. I invited him." He said hopefully loud enough for Rei's mother to have heard him.

"We met at the lake, we were all there swimming..." The chinese boy was silent again. He looked at Ozuma and waved him over.

Ozuma glanced at Zeo, who looked like he were ready for a caper of any kind. Standing, he walked over to Rei and had the phone put to his ear.

"Umm, hello Mrs...?"

"Kon." Rei replied.

"Mrs. Kon... This is Ozuma." His voice sounded rudely thick in his ears. He hated trouble and being in any part of it. "Is it alright if your son stays over at my house tonight? I can give you my number."

The woman spoke briefly to him, he listened to her as she went on about not doing this or that and if his parents would be there. No wonder Rei wanted to get out of there, this woman sounded like a fall out mess over him being anywhere for too long. Does Rei have some kind of medical condition? He wondered.

"Yes ma'am, my mom will be here. I swear."

Rei smiled when he heard his mother say that it was ok, for him to stay over- even though he really wasn't. When Ozuma hung up the phone he looked at Rei as though he had lost his mind. "I'm not gonna lie for you anymore. What if your mom calls here and asks if you're really here and my mom gets the phone before me?"

"She won't, I promise." Rei turned to leave the house. "Thanks for helping me, Ozuma. I owe you one."

Ozuma sighed in frustration. Rei wasn't listening at all! "Yeah," he answered to his gesture.

"I'll see myself out." He walked into the main hall way.

Zeo watched him go, then looked back to Ozuma. "That was weird. I wonder what those two are gonna be doing?"

"I can take a guess." Ozuma frowned. "Do you think that... they... you know?"

"Have sex? I think they do- they're old enough." Zeo shrugged.

This shocked Ozuma, he didn't plan on doing that until he was like, eighteen maybe. "They're a little _young_, aren't they?"

"16 and 15." He looked down at the new card he'd drawn.

"That's all!" His mouth was agape. "_I'm 15_! I couldn't even imagine knowing what to do during that."

Zeo looked up with an impish smirk. "Oh, come on, every body knows how to do it." He leaned over getting into Ozuma's face. "You just have to let your body do the work, and it'll move however the pleasure takes it." His hand came down between the Indian male's legs.

Ozuma laughed, scooting back from his friends approach. "Zeo, cut it out."

"Why, am I exciting you?" He kissed him on the nose. "And I'm not Zeo, I'm Rei. Now come over here and give me some sugar."

Ozuma continued to laugh, failing at dodging Zeo's kisses. "Hey, I thought we were gonna wait until we got to my house to fool around?" He played along with him.

"Oh Kai, we don't need a house, we're too hot for each other."

Ozuma howled with laughter feeling the blue haired boy's lips on his throat. He had never been kissed there before. "Mmm, baby." He kissed Zeo back- though on the cheek. "How 'bout a nice hick'..." When their lips met, Ozuma's laughter stopped and he leaned up into his friend's mouth. He didn't mind kissing, just as long as nothing else happened.

Zeo's hand came up to Ozuma's cheek and his other hand found its way to the male's groin. When his palm applied pressure against it, Ozuma moaned in response. Deepening the kiss, Zeo smiled against Ozuma's lips when he felt the mixed boy begin to buck up into his hand.

Zeo backed away for a second to move down to Ozuma's neck when he saw the cards in Ozuma's hand. "Hey you sneak!" He sat back. "You said you didn't have any sevens."

Ozuma laughed, getting up from the couch he ran into the kitchen for safety.

Zeo was a step behind him. "Oh no you don't, you cheater. It's the big house for you." He grabbed the smaller boy, holding one arm behind his back, while the other wrapped itself around his chest. "Come on."

Ozuma laughed the whole way to wherever Zeo was pushing him to. "Ha ha, Copper! You'll never keep me locked up, I'll be out on the streets again in two days."

"That's what you think." He led him over to the pantry. Removing the hand that was around the smaller male's chest, Zeo opens the door and shoves him in closing it behind him.

"Zeo no!" He panicked seeing the darkness around him. "Open the door!" He pounded his fist on the door.

Zeo laughed as though it were part of the game missing the pure fear in his friend's voice. "Uh uh uh Ozuma, you have tooo..."

"Please, Zeo!" He continued to bang. "Open the door!" Ozuma crouched down, covering his ears.

He didn't mind being in the pantry as long as the light was on and that's outside of the little room. Grabbing the door knob, his shaking hands twisted it back and forth. "Zeo please, I don't wanna play this game anymore, let me out."

"I'm trying, it feels jammed..." Zeo looked around the kitchen for something to use to pry it open. There was nothing. "I think this might be a light switch." He yelled through the door as though Ozuma suddenly couldn't hear him very well. Flipping up the switch next to the door a light came on over the shaken boy's head. "Is that better?"

Ozuma uncovered his head, his vision went up to look at the light bulb over his head. But instead of light he saw the face of the man from the street. And after that, all Zeo heard was a loud scream...


	9. Emotions Run High

Ozuma's back slammed into the door causing a loud thump on the other side which scared Zeo out of his skin.

"Ozuma!?" He yelled through the door after composing his self. "Open the door! It's stuck on this side." He tugged feverishly at the knob. "Ozumaa!"

'_Ozumaaaaa_' The man called out his name. Fingers and hands extending, reaching for him trying to trap him between the door and himself. "_Ozumaaaa_"

But Ozuma moved quickly ducking under the man's arms. He scaled the shelves beside him until he sat up high on the very top one, almost out of reach from the man.

"_Ozummaaaa_" He continued saying his name as though it were a rattle snake that he planned to shoot at him. Was he going to climb the shelves?! Tug Ozuma down by his legs so that he was badly injured on the way down from banging his head on the hard wooden shelves. Or was he simply going to scare him to death lurking around below, giving him no way out?

"Haa!" The boy yelped feeling a cold, dry hand come down around his ankle.

Kicking at the man with his other leg, and for the first time in his life he wished her were a bit taller because his leg didn't even come close to the man's ghoulish grey face, so he then turned his aim for the grasping hand. Raising his leg, he dug his heel into the man's wrist, praying that he could feel pain even in death. But the grip held fast.

"Let me gooo!"

"Ozuma?!" Zeo called. Looking back and forth, the blue haired teen dropped to his hands and knees looking under the door. One eye closed for a sharper look. "Ozuma?!" A black... _thing_ banged against the door. Zeo shoved away from it, startled. Was someone in there with him?!

"Zeo help me!" Ozuma called, his voice shook with fright.

"I have to find a screw driver okay? I'll be right back!" He called through the door, not getting any closer than he sat when he had moved away.

"No! Don't leave me!"

But he didn't hear him, Zeo had already gone in search of a screw driver.

Ozuma continued kicking at the man's wrist. He had to get free. His foot continually scraped and battered at the man, but he seemed to feel nothing. Leaning over a bit, Ozuma dug his finger nails into the bony clammy wrist and that seemed to loosen his grip on him a bit. Pulling his legs up under his self Ozuma curled into a ball trying to concentrate on staying alive rather than crying.

"Zeooo where are you?" He groaned.

Hearing the heavy sound of something falling to the floor, Ozuma peeked an eye open. The man had decided to scale the shelves after all and the fallen object was a bag of flour. He had to think fast... real fast. Sticking his leg out, he tried to kick the man off the shelf but he fell short. Trying again, his foot came into contact with the tiny light bulb just a ways away from him.

With the power behind his kick the light bulb burst instantly, sending shards of glass to the floor.

"_Aaaaaahhh!_" The man screamed, his voice sounded more agitated than scared. Something about that made Ozuma's blood run cold. But there were worse things to think about. Now his foot was bleeding, even though his socks were thick the contact that caused the bulb to shatter got some pieces of glass inside piercing him. On top of that, he was in the dark again... but at least now, he was alone. No man, no Zeo... Alone...

Ozuma's breathing sounded louder than he wanted it to. He felt like it would give away his location on the shelf and he tried to slow it so that it was even and silent. He failed in doing so. Curling back into a ball, he waited, listened and watched out for any other advances the man would make. But as moments went by there were none. Had he left without the frightened boy knowing it? Was he hiding in a dark shadow unseen? The closet was no bigger than a sixteen step walk in a square, there really was nowhere for him to hide.

"Ze..." He cleared his voice, sniffling back tears. "Zeo?" He tried to call for his friend again.

"I found the screw driver." He said through the door. His voice sounded cloudy, as though he may have been crying or something. "Ozuma..." There was a sound of metal scraping against itself. Zeo grumbled and tried again. "Ozuma, I'm sorry. I-... didn't think you'd get scared like this. I wasn't thinking."

A screw rolled under the door. Ozuma looked down at the thing, making out what it was from the little stream of light that was coming from under the door. Still the man had not come out from wherever he hid. Ozuma was beginning to think now that he truly was going crazy, but how could that be? He was always a normal kid up until they moved. Could his fear of the dark be so strong that it manifested itself into actual people?! But if that were true than why? Why could he see them in the light, shouldn't they only lurk around when it's dark?

A moment later the door knob fell into the pantry on Ozuma's side, his body jumped hearing the new sound out of nowhere.

"Ozuma?" Zeo stepped into the pantry, looking around. "Where are you?" He turned his head left then right, then he looked up. "Ozuma- Ouch!" He raised his barefoot aiming it at the light shining through the illuminated doorway, Zeo saw droplets of red appearing on the bottom of his foot and little shards of glass that had caused them.

"Zeo?" Ozuma's coming down from the shelf.

"Hold on there's glass on the floor." He reached a hand up holding Ozuma around his waist. Then with his other hand he wrapped it under the shorter male's legs and held him bridal-style while he walked out of the pantry.

Ozuma looked over Zeo's shoulder back into the pantry. No one was in there. It was just an everyday, ordinary, kitchen pantry.

_It's true then_... thought the boy. _I'm cracking up_. He shook his head to clear his mind. His face pressed into Zeo's shoulder from embarrassment.

The blue haired boy winced in pain every time his right foot took too sturdy of contact with the floor. He left a tiny blood trail where he walked as they headed back into the living room. Zeo placed his friend on the couch, sat beside him, and caressed a hand through his hair.

"Ozuma... I'm really sorry..." He hung his head down. "I'll understand if you don't wanna forgive me- or be my friend anymore." He trailed the last part. "I deserve it."

Ozuma's breathing had calmed down, since he was freed from the closet, maybe not as even as he would have liked it but he was settling down. His panicked state became rational again as he sighed. "Get out,"

"What?"

"I said get out! Do I have to spell it for you?" Ozuma repeats, looking not into his friend's eyes, but past him a little- almost like he didn't really want to say the things he was saying. "Leave Zeo... and don't bother coming back... You and I..." He sighed angrily. "You're not the guy I wrote to..." he felt hot tears stinging his eyes. "All the things that used to be charming and funny... they're not so fun in person."

Zeo lowered his eyes, taking what the male was saying to heart. He didn't want this to happen, even though deep down he knew that it would. The things that made them different were tearing them apart and it was all his fault. He was too much a part of his old life and having Ozuma there was making him- feel funny. Different maybe. Maybe because he liked him, maybe because he was too different a person with his friends here to be a better friend with his penpal. Zeo didn't know, but he didn't want to lose Ozuma.

The boy wiped a hand across his eyes. "I don't want to break up Zeo... friends I mean, but what you did today-..."

"Was out of fun!" The strong headed male interrupted. "I didn't think about what I was doing. I know I should have but it was hard, you and me were playing a nice game- I didn't see any harm in it... But what I saw... under the door..."

"What do you mean what you saw? There was no one in there." Ozuma growled. "I made it up- it was all in my head... I was afraid, so I was seeing things, like you said." He crossed his arms over his chest, pouting a bit.

"Ozuma..." He leaned forward, holding a hand under his friend's chin and he turned his face kissing him. It wasn't hot. It wasn't fast. It was more like an apology mixed with a hint of love and care.

"Zeo..." He felt a pair of lips upon his forehead before pressed his forehead to his.

Zeo didn't move back. Their lips were still practically touching as they spoke. "We can't keep doing this, it's like all you guys think I am is some kind of joke- or a freak... I'm not."

"I don't think that... But I'll respect your wishes." He sniffled backing away from Ozuma. "I'll leave. I just hope that... maybe someday we could try again."

Ozuma shrugged, putting his attention out the window that was behind the couch. "Try what? Being lovers, two people who kiss and fuck because there's never gonna be any love behind it? Because you can't mean friends. Every time I wanna be your friend it's a new thing to laugh at. So forget it."

Zeo lowered his gaze. Standing, he walked to the hall but stopped. "I love you, you know... After the first time we talked it just continued to grow. I'm _not_ fast- and I don't make fun of my friends... When you came here it's like... you've changed."

"Yeah right. You're the one who's acting so differently."

"Yeah because, I guess I've never seen fear this close up before... It makes me a little nervous around you- so what? You're gonna hold it against me?" Zeo seemed to be getting mad though his gentle, quiet tone, never changed. "I guess you are though because you'd rather be friends with Rei and Kai."

This time Ozuma looked at him. "What? What do they have to do with anything. I barely know them."

"Exactly!" Zeo walked back over to his friend an accusing finger pointed. "But you'd like to! From day one you asked about them and now that Rei came over here, I bet the two of you will become friends and you'll forget all about me!"

_So that's what this was about? He thinks I'm gonna replace him for some reason._ This made Ozuma see red. _Stupid jerk, how dare he think that I'm gonna be the one to replace him when he clearly has no interest in me because of his old friends!_ "Zeo... You're making it impossible not to yell at you, when all _you've_ done since day one is compare me to your old friends. I'm not them and I can't be... I won't be... So take me as I am or never come back..."

Zeo blinked in silence then spoke. "I'm sorry... I'll take you as you are, but you have to accept me the same way." He patted his chest with his fist to emphasize how much he felt he needed to be accepted. "I'm not entirely built up of the good and bad things that I talked about in my letters... I'm a person- always changing. And sure, I like to move a little fast but it doesn't mean I can't slow down. I care about you, Ozuma... You may not think so, but I do."

They were silent a moment. Shaking his head, Zeo turned on his heals. "I'll go."

Ozuma watched him, a frown on his face. And lowly, he whispered. "I'm sorry, Zeo..."

"Thanks." He replied. Even though he was sure, he wasn't supposed to hear it. "Can... I call you?"

"Yeah... I'd like to... get to know my possible boyfriend better."

Zeo smirked a bit. "Me too. Good bye."

"Yeah,"

When Zeo was gone, Ozuma let his tears fall. He was still shaken inside by what had happened. The man touched him, he was as real as he or Zeo. And he was in his house. Somewhere. No. _No, I can't go on thinking this way. It's not dark, it's safe in here and all this stuff is just in my head..._ He lowered his eyes, hugging his knees to him. _I wish mom would hurry back though. I don't wanna be alone..._

...

Ozuma remained in the living room all morning to the afternoon. Tyson and Max had stopped by to hang out with him and Zeo but Ozuma sent them away. They probably wouldn't wanna hang out with him anyhow. In his getting up from the couch he bandaged his bleeding foot so that his mother wouldn't ask any questions.

Around lunch time, he walked into the kitchen and tried to keep his mind focused on his task of grabbing a can of soup from- thank God- the kitchen cabinet. He didn't think he had the strength to go into the pantry a second time that day. But all the while he moved around the kitchen, his eyes continued to glance over his shoulder at the open door.

_I'm just scaring myself, there's nobody in there._ He reassured his bad nerves. _Hmm? How long does it take to heat up a soup with meat in it?_ Looking over the buttons on the microwave, Ozuma decided on a minute and thirty seconds to get the job done. Pulling himself up on the counter, he swung his legs back and forth, humming as he waited. Out of no where a tiny smirk appeared on his face. _A boyfriend... it's hard to think about. What do boyfriend's do exactly?_ He glanced at the microwave. _I hope there is more to it than just kissing and hiding out from your parents- I don't wanna hide from my parents._

Beeeeppp!

Hopping down from the counter he walked over to the microwave then pressed the button to open the door to retrieve his bowl of soup. _...Maybe sooome, cracker- no, the crackers are in the pantry._ He glanced at the very location. _No. There's nothing in there, it's all in my head._ Placing the bowl onto the counter, he took a step toward the pantry. Sucking in a breath of air, he then took another step and another and another.

_There's nothing in there, there's nothing in there,_ "There is nothing in there." His chant became out loud. The closer he got the slower his pace became. "There's nothing in there." Pausing at the door, he reached for the light switch. Just as he went to flip it up he stopped. His retracted hand shook with fright, images of the man inside and the woman when she was on the toilet flashed through his mind. He was afraid to turn the light on. He couldn't believe it. Ozuma Balaji is afraid to turn on the light!

_And why wouldn't you freak out?_ The voice in the back of his head spoke. _Every time you've seen one of those awful people the lights were on, but when they're off, nobody is there._

"Yeah," his voice said quietly.

He thought to himself for a moment. Something about this place, it was weird. Like everything worked in the opposite or something. Lights on, very scary. Lights off, nothing there. It was like that old saying, 'if you can't see it, than it's not there.'

_Could that be true?_

Looking into the dark beyond, Ozuma sucked up all his nerve then walked into the pantry for the box of crackers like he had a rod for a spine. But for the first time in his life, Ozuma felt safer in the dark.

9 9 9

Tsugani had come home a lot later than she had planned to, but it gave Ozuma time to ponder the events of the week. This sighting and the next and there seemed to be some type of pattern but he couldn't be sure. But now was not the time to worry about it as he and his mother sat on the couch, eating dinner, watching a movie on lifetime about a woman with an invisible- as in imaginary- child. It was a sad movie in a way. Why anyone would do such a thing when they already have two children was beyond him.

"You know," his mother began. "I would do the same thing if I didn't have you."

Ozuma smiled at his mother.

"I can't have children, so it's understandable."

Ozuma scoffed. "_Yeah_, if you're nuts." He punched his mother playfully on the shoulder.

Tsugani laughed, giving her son a squeezing embrace. "So my beautiful son, what have you been up to today. Did your friends come over?"

"They did... but... I asked them to leave."

His mother sighed. "..-'zuma, don't tell me you've been fighting?"

"No." He said quickly, then lowered his voice. "Not exactly anyway. Zeo and me had an argument."

"Aaww, you two haven't even popped a shirt button and already you've had your first fight."

Ozuma gaped at what his mother had just said. Did she know? No. Impossible. How could she? "Mom I-..."

"Mm mm, say no more." She raised her hand. "Ozuma, sometimes a mother just knows."

Her son was still in shock. "...And, you're okay with it?"

She swatted her son on the back of his head. "Sweet heart, if your parents don't shout at you or chase you through the house with a broom, I think your safe."

"Oh..." He sat back and got comfortable, though his insides now are a little uncomfortable. "Well, this is a little awkward."

Tsugani laughed at that. "Oh give me a break, your mother's had her time-..." She lied.

"Mmom!" His eyes went wide with horror. "Doon't, I'll get images." He covered his ears to shield himself from it.

Tsugani grabbed her son's hands, pulling at them. "It was a cold day," She went on.

"Nooo," Ozuma laughed as he popped up from the couch. "I'm going to bed now, good niiiight!"

"Good night, Ozuma."

The young teen walked into the dark hall without a care in the world. Although, he was allowed a night light there and it shown through the darkness enough to satisfy him and keep him safely out of harms way. At least he hoped so. A pantry with an open door was one thing, but it was another thing all together to be completely in the dark. He just couldn't. There were too many things that lurked within it, he was sure of it.

Even if he couldn't prove that his happenings with the couple were only in light, Ozuma was almost sure that it had something to do with it.

_Run from Dawn_...

The words ran through his mind. _Run... was that a warning? The couple was trying to warn me about them? Yeah right. They were trying to mess with me because somehow they know I'm afraid of the dark._ He passed the night light and it flickered off then on. He gave it no more attention than a glance. _They're trying to make me afraid of everything... How will I feel safe?_

Stopping at his bedroom door he glanced inside. No one was there. The only light in the room was from his night lights. It was bright enough to look as though he had on the main light. He would have to take two of the night lights away in order to be safe. Words he never thought he would think or say.

Stepping into his room he walked over to the nearest light and pulled it out of its socket. Looking around the room, he nodded in comfort level. Going over to the next one, he pulled it free then looked around. Nothing changed.

_And I'll leave in the last one._ He smiled triumphantly. "This could work out all right. I'll just use my night lights, instead of really bright ones. No problem." Standing he began to undress to put on his pajamas.

Ozuma could feel a cold chill running up his bare spine, but he shook it off. _Focus on the light in the room, and your eyes won't play tricks on you._ He felt the cold air whirling around his ankles and he jumped onto his bed.

Behind him was darkness so thick he might as well be standing in the color black itself. _So much for getting over my fear of the dark._ "Moooom!" He called as loud as he could.

Within moments his mother had come up the stairs and into his room. "What is it?" She looked around. "Ozuma, what happened to your other night lights?"

"I... took them out." He swallowed. _Yeah that sounds crazy._

"Took them out, what for?"

Ozuma started to speak, but he didn't know what to say.

"Do you want them back in?"

"No!" He sounded panicked. "I was just... trying it out. I wanna... grow up now and stop being afraid of nothing."

Tsugani smiled. "I see," walking over to the bed she sat down and planted a kiss to her son's forehead. "You let me know how that goes. I'll be in my room if you need me."

"I know."

Patting him on the head, she walked out of the bedroom and down the hall.

Ozuma looked after her with a frown. _She thinks I've lost it too._ He sighed and looked at his nightstand, the book he was reading earlier lay there waiting for him to return to it. _I will beat this thing, one step at a time._ Getting out of bed, he put one of the nightlights back into the socket. _Two for now, and I'll read until I get tired._

Returning to his bed, he snatched the book up, opened it and began to read quietly until his eyes closed out all the light.


End file.
